


Two Halves of a Whole

by Pinkcupcake81



Category: Dancing with the Stars (US) RPF, Figure Skating RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-09
Updated: 2014-10-26
Packaged: 2018-02-04 02:02:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 59,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1762447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pinkcupcake81/pseuds/Pinkcupcake81
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU fic - Meryl Davis moves to New Jersey to begin a new life as a coach - only her past isn't what you might expect.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue - Moving On

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! 
> 
> So I posted this at tumblr but also wanted to put it here because I love this site and find it easier to find fics on! The idea for this fic came from one of the prompts on the awesome Maksyl Prompts tumblr blog. This is the first time I've written for this fandom so I'm a tad nervous - any feedback would be much appreciated. Sorry this is so short - it's just a wee prologue to set the situation up.

Meryl Davis felt like the pause button on her existence had been pressed for far too long. When her younger self had imagined what life would be like at twenty-seven she had never quite envisaged it this way; in her mind’s eye she was either storming her way to Olympic glory or completing her graduate degree and well on the way to becoming Dr Davis, anthropology professor. No, she’d certainly never imagined herself as Meryl Davis, skating coach… and single mother of one.

It had taken time, support and a hell of a lot of therapy but she’d finally come to the point in her life where the decision to leave the security of her parents’ suburban Detroit home felt like a realistic prospect. Living there since life as she’d known it had stopped back in 2009 had felt like the right thing at the time, but despite her parents’ misgivings about her ability to cope alone, she wanted to make a fresh start, for her – and for Robbie.

Glancing sideways in the taxi Meryl took in the wide brown eyes of her four year old son as he gazed excitedly at the unfamiliar urban landscape of New Jersey for the first time. It was all just a big adventure to him – he’d been sad to leave Nannie and Papa behind, but the concept that it was any longer than a weekend was alien to him and he hadn’t really grasped why all the adults in his life had suddenly been reduced to quivering wrecks as they’d waved goodbye at the airport.

The decision to move East hadn’t been taken lightly. She’d spent weeks of nights tossing and turning; one minute thinking she was crazy for even contemplating leaving Michigan behind, and the next wondering if it was the fresh start she’d been dreaming of seemingly for years. The opportunity had come somewhat out of the blue; she’d been coaching with Marina ever since she’d recovered from giving birth. It was the sole realistic option she’d had for work with only an undergraduate degree in anthropology, no previous work experience, and a child to support. As much as she’d never imagined coaching, especially at a time of her life where she’d considered she’d still be competing, she soon found herself to be pretty adept at it, and her choreography for several of Marina’s junior teams had soon won her praise, not only at a national level, but internationally when one of her teams used Meryl’s programs to win the World Junior title. Scarcely a month later and Marina had called her into her office for “a little chat” in which it transpired that the owner of the Ice House in New Jersey had called, enquiring about Meryl and wondering about the possibility of her heading up their ice dance program.

_Impossible._

Her first reaction had been to immediately discount the possibility; a trait her once competitive self would have blanched at. It had taken Marina several days of completely unsubtle hints (subtlety for Marina was somewhat akin to quantum physics) for her to even mention the idea to her parents.

And so here she was two months later – her and Robbie’s entire lives packed into a few little suitcases, ready to start their new life in New Jersey. And for the first time, she didn’t have anyone to hold her hand.


	2. Chapter 1 - I'll Think About It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks so much for reading and special thanks to those who commented - it really means a lot and encourages me to keep writing! Hope you enjoy this chapter, leave me a note if you did! xx

Meryl had never really been one for making snap judgements, but it took her precisely fifteen minutes in her new position as Ice Dance Director of the Ice House to realise that she had one hell of a job on her hands. She hadn’t been given much information before accepting the position but it appeared that her predecessor had been somewhat lax in his training methods and as a result she had arrived to find a bunch of poorly motivated skaters with little to no work ethic, meandering aimlessly round their practice sessions with zero focus. It was enough to give her little OCD-self minor heart-failure.

For the first few days she was a silent observer – masking her horror with smiles and nods, and then returning each night to her home to take several Advil and practise every anti-anxiety breathing exercise her therapist had ever suggested. She then progressed from the _panic phase_ to the _damage control phase_ – starting with making lists. Lists of skaters, coaches, training techniques, improvements, lists of everything. Meryl liked lists. A lot. Lists meant control.

Which was why she found herself one afternoon sitting at the desk in her rink office, paper covering every inch of the surface except for the two small spaces her elbows took up as she held her head forlornly in her hands. She’d already had a meeting with the coaches to spell out her initial plan for creating a better training environment; coming from a haven of organisation like Arctic Edge had meant she had a clear idea in her head of what would improve training conditions, and changing the coaches’ mind-sets had been the first step. She’d then gone onto the senior training session and led an edge class which had left most of the students falling, swearing, sweating profusely and reconsidering whether deferring college for that extra year to focus on skating had really been the best decision after all. She’d come off the session with the feeling that the seniors were too far gone to be saved, so she spent the rest of the day watching the juniors from the top of the stands, a thick notepad in her hand, soon filled with notes. It had left her with a far more positive outlook – they were rough but had potential – there were two couples in particular who had caught her eye and she knew that with the right guidance could do well nationally, perhaps even internationally. The technique was there, training discipline she could work on… it was the polish that was missing.

Polish… finish… _what would Marina do?_ She found herself wondering.

Which was how she found herself at the door of a decidedly dilapidated dance studio, less than three blocks from the rink. _Dan e With M !_ The sign above the door exclaimed, looking like it had seen somewhat better days. Pushing open the door and stepping cautiously inside she took in the waiting area and the noticeboard filled with competition dates and results. Despite her initial misgivings about the state of the building, the results themselves seemed impressive and she could tell from the clear instructions to dancers and parents on the rules and regulations of the studio that whoever owned the place clearly knew what they were doing. There was nobody in the reception area but she could hear music from what she presumed was the main studio, the heavy Latin beat occasionally punctuated by a fiercely projected instruction in a distinctly Russian accent.

A Russian accent bellowing instructions above music – she instantly felt at home.

She had no idea how long she’d have to wait but she wasn’t about to barge in on a practice session so she took a seat and waited, checking her phone to make sure she still had plenty of time before she needed to pick up Robbie from preschool. After twenty or so minutes the music came to a stop and a gaggle of teenage students exited the room towards the changing area. Steeling herself, she rose to her feet and entered the studio. The smell of wood-polish and sweat hit her as soon as the door closed and she found herself almost tip-toeing to avoid the click of her heels from harshly intruding. At the far end of the room a solid figure crouched at the music system, clad in black dress pants with a black tank displaying a pretty impressive upper body – he had a bit of a Johnny Castle from Dirty Dancing vibe about him and when he finally noticed her standing at the end of the room and looked up to meet her gaze it was all she could do to stop herself blushing like a schoolgirl.

“Hello?” “Umm, hi…” _great start Meryl, tongue-tied already._

Pulling herself together she made her way across the room and he rose to meet her halfway. He was tall – well over six feet and by the time she reached him, even with her stupidly high heels he was still towering over her. “I’m sorry to interrupt like this,” she began, mentally chastising herself for coming across so nervous – she had worked on this; she didn’t need to worry about what other people thought of her, she wasn’t being judged… Except when his eyes roamed from her face, slowly down her body and back up again, she got the distinct impression that an assessment of some sort was definitely going on, even if it wasn’t the type of judgement she was usually afraid of.

“Maksim Chmerkovskiy…” he extended his hand towards her and she shook it with as much conviction as she could muster, her small hand almost disappearing in his.

“Meryl Davis,” she smiled, trying to ignore the little flutter in a part of her body she hadn’t felt a flutter in for a considerable amount of time.

“Are you here about the adult beginner classes?” he asked with a smile.

“Umm no, actually I’m here with a bit of a business proposal,” she began.

He all but rolled his eyes, “Look, Ms Davis, I don’t want to be rude but I’m a busy man…”

She fought every urge not to say _‘kthanksverymuchbye_ and run from the room,

“I understand,” she all but stammered, “If you could just…”

He glanced up at a clock on the wall behind her, obviously irritated that she was interrupting his schedule, “Okay, you’ve got five minutes,” he folded his arms and stood with his legs wide apart, brow furrowed in concentration.

Meryl took a deep breath, “Well, I’m a skating coach…sorry I’m the Ice Dance Director at the Ice House – the rink just round the corner.” He nodded in recognition, “Well I just took up the post, I’m originally from Michigan…” she was rambling now, he didn’t give a shit where she came from. “I’ve just started working with the teams there and one of the things I really think would benefit them would be to work with a ballroom dance instructor…”

He took an intake of breath, knowing what was coming. “Miss Davis, ice dancing and dancing are two very different beasts.”

“Umm, I’m aware of that,” she’d replied before she’d even thought of it, she didn’t appreciate the idea that her sport was somehow inferior to his.

“So you’ll understand when I tell you that the teams I train here are some of the best in the country. I really don’t have time for…”

“And the teams I’m training aren’t?” Okay, technically right now they weren’t setting the World on fire but he didn’t need to know that.

He glanced up at the clock again, obviously keen to get away, “I really don’t know that your students would be up to the level that I…”

He’d really riled her up now, who was he to suggest that she couldn’t possibly be coaching high level skaters? “Look Mr _Chmerkovskiy_ ,” she drawled, and he seemed taken aback by her perfect pronunciation, _thanks Marina_ , “You might be coaching the next Fred and Ginger in here for all I know, but taking a look at the place I really don’t think you’re in the position to be turning down the business, though feel free to tell me if I’m wrong.” She took a step closer towards him defiantly and he stood his ground, she could almost feel the waves of stubbornness and pride and something decidedly masculine that she couldn’t even put her finger on, just radiating from him but she was on a roll now and wasn’t about to stop, “I’m asking you if you’d be willing to teach my students to dance. Never mind what you think about my sport, though you’re always welcome to strap on some skates anytime. I just need to know, are you willing to consider it or do I have to move to the next studio on my list and ask them?”

He grabbed the piece of paper she was wielding in her hand from her and glanced at the list of studios she’d scribbled down from her internet search.

“Hmm, interesting.” He nodded in recognition of the other names, “Your five minutes are up.”

“Excuse me?” “I said I’d give you five minutes, I gave you five minutes and I have somewhere I need to be.” He began striding towards the door, leaving her standing in shock.

“So?” she all but groaned in frustration.

He gave her a maddeningly sexy smile as he opened the door for her and guided her through, “I’ll think about it…”


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry it's taken me a while to update. I've just started back at work after being off ill for awhile and I just haven't had the energy to write. Sorry this isn't very fluffy - I promise it will be happy eventually! Many thanks to those who read, left kudos, or in particular, left a review. It really meant a lot!

So he’d finally relented and agreed to work with her students. It had taken quite a bit of cajoling on her part, she’d even resorted to flirting at one point, but had been rather insulted to realise that her attempts had gone completely unnoticed. It had eventually been a serendipitous leak at the Dance With Me studios which had saved her; an old pipe above the main studio had fractured one night, leaving Maks to arrive the next morning to a flood and nowhere for his teams to train. Of course the Ice House had its own dedicated, state of the art dance studio (unused up until that point), and though she could see the look of pain visible on his face, he finally conceded victory to her and agreed to train her teams.

At first he’d found it hard to adapt to skaters who weren’t used to dancing and he agreed with her immediately that the senior teams were really beyond help – still, he worked with them patiently, and both he and Meryl could see some improvement in basic line and dance positioning. It was with the junior teams that Meryl realised his input was going to be invaluable.

“So, Argentine Tango?” Maks clapped his hands together as Meryl’s top junior team, Emma and Steven, stood nervously in front of him, ready for their first private lesson. “What made you choose this dance?”

Steven coughed nervously and Emma took the lead, “Meryl chose it for us,” she explained, nodding towards Meryl, “We’ve only got this season left in juniors and she wanted us to do something more mature so that the judges would notice us before we move up to senior.”

“So you’ve chosen music and started putting the choreography together?”

Meryl nodded, “Most of what we’ve done so far has been placing the elements together in the program, I haven’t worked on transitions yet; I was hoping that they’d get a better flavour of the style of dance after working in the studio with you.”

“Sounds good,” Maks agreed, “So let’s start – do you guys want to show me what you’ve got so far?”

Meryl cued the music on the sound system and the two young skaters began a walk-through of their program. Maks was gradually getting used to watching students “skate” their programs off ice. Whilst it was called “ice dancing” there was no doubt that when it was transferred to the floor it could look decidedly odd – but he was getting there with working out what they were doing.

“We can work with them a bit on the hold and putting some more of the attitude in today,” Maks explained, moving closer to her so that he wasn’t interrupting Emma and Steven’s dance. “She looks like she understands the movement really well but he’s quite uncomfortable.”

“I’m getting the impression it’s a teenage thing,” Meryl smiled, noticing that just for a second Maks’ own lips curled up almost imperceptibly at the edges.

“Well, by the end of today we’ll get any self-consciousness out of his system for good,” he declared.

She couldn’t help but laugh, “Someone’s confident!”

“Watch the master at work, Miss Davis,” he winked, stopping the music and heading over to talk to the pair. Was he flirting with her?

Meryl perched herself on the table next to the music system and took out her notebook with her plans for the dance. She’d always choreographed using her notebook – it had literally hundreds of ideas which had come to her over the years; pieces of music, costume sketches, lift ideas and step outlines. She was excited to finally have her own teams to try out her ideas with and Steven and Emma were the first to really capture her imagination. As soon as she’d looked at their previous programs and their look on the ice together, she knew that an Argentine Tango was the way to go to take their skating to the next level.

Pencil in hand, she scribbled some notes at the foot of her plan on the directions that Maks was giving her skaters; head placement, shoulder line, positioning of the hips in relation to each other. She was interrupted from her train of thought when she realised he was addressing her directly.

“Meryl? Can I borrow you a second?” he stood back from Emma and Steven and held out his hand towards her.

“So, Steven, what you need to work on is the idea of being in control of your partner,” Meryl almost came to an abrupt halt as she realised that Maks’ hand was still extended in her direction, expecting her to take it. She quickly crossed the room and let him take her hand in his and the proverbial electric shock passed through her as soon as she did. She almost winced at the predictability of it all.

_He’s just a cocky dance coach, you will not fall for him. He’s just a cocky dance coach, you will not…_

And then he pulled her flush against him; her fragile, lithe body fitting snugly against his tall, muscular frame.

_Oh frick…_

* * *

 

After another half hour in the dance studio, demonstrating hold and position to Emma and Steven, Meryl suggested that they move what they’d been working onto the ice. To be quite honest with herself, the rink provided a welcome relief from the heat which had been building up inside her ever since Maks had taken her hand and pulled her against him. It had been so easy to fall into his arms and let his hands guide her body where he’d wanted it to be. She’d been mortified at her body’s reaction to him; warmth pooling in the pit of her stomach, breath hitching as soon as he’d so much as lain a finger on her. She kept trying to convince herself it was a natural physical reaction – after all, it had been years since a man had so much as touched her. Yet a part of her couldn’t help but wonder if the look he’d given her as his hand had splayed possessively across her back had been simply acting the part to demonstrate to their students, or had been a flicker of something more. It was the first time he’d been inside the rink to actually work with a couple and she could sense his hesitancy straight away. Now they were in her comfort zone and he was decidedly out of his. She resisted the temptation to offer him a pair of rental skates and made the concession to stand behind the boards with him, even though she normally coached on-ice. Emma and Steven began a quick on ice warm up and then began running through the program with the added instructions from Maks.

They were making good progress when Meryl felt a vibration from her pocket and realised her phone was ringing. Stepping away from the barrier she glanced at the caller ID and realised it was Robbie’s daycare centre.

“Hello, Miss Davis?”

“Hello, this is she.”

“I’m so sorry to bother you at work, but we’re trying to contact all our parents. I’m afraid you’ll have to come and pick Robbie up. We’ve had a power outage and we’re unable to keep the building open; we’ve contacted the energy company and we’re unlikely to get power back for the rest of the day so it’s really not safe for us to have all the children with us just now. I’m so sorry but it’s our health and safety policy.”

“Oh, of course, I’ll be there as soon as I can!”

Ending the call, she made her way back over to Maks who was leaning over the barrier to Emma and Steven to correct a hand placement he was unhappy with.

“Sorry Maks, do you have a minute?”

“Sure,” he replied, before directing his attention back to their students, “Go try that opening sequence one more time.”

“I’m so sorry but I just had an urgent call and I need to go,” she explained. “I’ll not be long, will you be alright with Emma and Steven?”

“You need to go?” he seemed irritated, “But I’ve never worked with students on ice before!”

“I’m sorry,” she apologised, “I just… I’ll be as quick as I can.”

And with that she took off in the direction of her office to retrieve her bag and keys, trying to ignore the look of disapproval on his face. She had no idea why she hadn’t mentioned Robbie, and her face flamed scarlet at the thought that she’d tried to hide the fact she had a child. Why had she hidden it? She wasn’t embarrassed of him; her son was her proudest achievement in the whole world. It was hard to deny though; she was attracted to Maks, and she knew that the instant he found out she already had a child, his opinion of her would change. That afternoon, for the first time in many years, with his arms around her, she’d felt like the old Meryl; like maybe she could be beautiful and desirable to someone again and not like a 27 year old single mother who hadn’t been on a date in five years.

 

* * *

 

She was completely screwed.

She’d arrived at the daycare to find Robbie one of the last children to be collected. Instantly he’d flown into her arms and she’d picked him up, whispering softly to soothe him as he cried. She still felt guilt about putting him in daycare when he was used to spending his days at home with her parents, but she knew that they needed to break away from Michigan and her dependency on her them so that she could move on with her life.

Straight away she’d started phoning around the few emergency contacts she had in New Jersey; first Mrs Reid from the apartment next door, who’d been so kind to them ever since they’d moved in. She was apologetic but she was in the city for the day, visiting her sister. Then she tried Rachel, one of the other single moms she’d met at the daycare whilst picking Robbie up. But she’d already collected her little girl and was on the way to her mother’s to drop her off for the day. There was nothing else for it; she was going to have to take him back to the rink with her. Which of course meant that she was going to have to face Maks’ face when he realised she wasn’t who he’d thought she was.

“Hey Meryl! You brought Robbie!” Linda, the motherly receptionist greeted them as she entered the rink with Robbie in hand, carrying his little bag with snacks and some colouring books to keep him entertained.

“Is Maks still on the ice with Emma and Steven?”

“Yup, you want me to look after this little guy for a bit so you can get some work done?”

Meryl could have kissed her, “You are a lifesaver! Hey Robbie, how do you fancy going round the desk to sit with Linda? I know she’s got some good colouring pens back there in her desk if you’re good!”

“Okay,” he smiled, and she ruffled his hair, heaving him across the desk to Helen.

“I shouldn’t be too long, the kids will break for lunch soon,” she smiled, “Thanks again Linda. I owe you big time!”

Dropping her bag in the office, she made her way back down to the rink and over to where Maks stood at the barrier. He turned, realising she was back, but his reception was decidedly frosty.

“I’m so sorry…”

“Don’t be, we were fine.” His tone suggested anything but.

“I just…”

“You don’t owe me an explanation,” he didn’t even look at her, instead keeping his gaze out on the ice, “But if we’re going to work together I need you to know that I expect us to both be on the same page. We’re professionals and if I’m giving a hundred percent then I expect the same of you. You need to work out whatever scheduling conflicts you have and keep them out of our working time.”

Knives seemed to be poking at her throat and hot tears filled her eyes. She’d disappointed him, and made herself look unprofessional. He was obviously the type who was consumed by his work and expected everyone else to be the same. As much as she hated the idea of him thinking she wasn’t one hundred percent committed to her work, it would be much worse to witness his change in demeanour when he realised she had a child. Blinking back the tears, she tried to concentrate on what Steven and Emma were doing on the ice and refocus her attention on the task at hand, but it was difficult when the waves of hostility coming from him were practically tangible.

The practice continued with Maks in charge. She’d pulled herself together enough after a few minutes to be able to start chipping in and although they weren’t speaking to each other, they were both at least able to offer constructive advice to their students. They were all deep in conversation at the barrier, ready to finish the session when the main door to the rink opened and small footsteps thundered towards them.

“Mommy! Mommy! Linda says I have to ask you if it’s okay if I have…”

All four heads whipped round to find Robbie running towards them, then tugging at the leg of Meryl’s pants, looking up at all of them, suddenly rendered speechless with shyness.

“Meryl?” Maks’ shock was immediately visible. Robbie peeked out from behind her leg and she reached down to pick him up.

“Maks, this is my son, Robbie.”

Emma leaned across the barrier and started cooing and fussing the way that only teenage girls could around children. Meryl focused on Robbie and tried not to look at Maks. Finally she called practice to an end and told Emma and Steven they could call it a day.

“I really have to get home. I’m sorry but daycare called and I have nobody else…”

She started to walk away, Robbie still in her arms.

“Meryl, wait…” Maks called

“I’ll send you an email about practice times for tomorrow.” She continued to back away, “I just… I have to go.”


	4. Chapter 3 - Not Alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, thanks to everyone who's read, left kudos or a lovely message on this fic so far. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update this. I’m not really all that happy with this chapter. I started this fic before I went on holiday and I felt like I was just getting into a rhythm with writing it, but being away kind of threw me, so I had to force myself to sit and crank this out. It’s too full of dialogue but I kind of just had to get it out there the best I could. 
> 
> Disclaimer – I don’t live in the USA and I don’t drink beer so I have no idea how much it costs. I looked it up on the internet and took the first answer I found. I have mad research skillz clearly.
> 
> Please leave me a wee note if you enjoyed this because I need quite a lot of motivation to write and comments give me lots of encouragement to keep going.

It was nearly ten and Meryl finally had a moment to relax. After finishing work, dealing with all the domestic tasks of the day, putting Robbie to bed and getting some admin tasks completed she was completely exhausted. The stifling heat of the summer day had only just abated and she’d propped open the back door, glad of the opportunity the ground floor apartment afforded her to the little backyard she and her few neighbors shared. Dusk had fallen and the neighborhood was peaceful. Moments like these were nice in the hectic scheme of her day, but at the same time, they also filled her with the familiar pang of loneliness that she’d become accustomed to not only since moving to New Jersey, but, if she was completely honest with herself, since she’d fallen pregnant.

Loneliness made her thoughts jump back to the events of earlier in the day and she immediately squirmed with embarrassment. She wasn’t embarrassed of her son. No, she was embarrassed that for one teeny, tiny second, she’d wondered if maybe Maks had been flirting with her, and had allowed herself the indulgence of imagining that maybe something could happen between them. Who was she kidding though? What would a successful, movie-star-good-looking guy, with the kind of accent normally only heard on sexy James Bond villains, want with a scrawny, tired single mother with weird eyes and a squeaky voice. Get real Davis.

She took a quick slug from the cold beer bottle she’d been nursing for the past half hour or so. She didn’t really like the taste, but lite beer was the only drink she’d really ever had in college, and this was the cheapest brand available so she’d allowed herself one as a treat.

“I totally had you pegged as a white wine kind of girl but then I guess making assumptions got me in trouble once already today.”

If there’d have been a ceiling she’d have had to have scraped herself off it, such was the fright she got from the sudden voice belonging to the movie-star-good-looking guy, leaning jauntily against the side of her building with a wry smile.

“Maksim? What the hell?”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, but I pressed the buzzer and nobody answered, then a little old lady came to the door and asked if was looking for you. She told me to come round here.”

As excited as her ridiculously fluttering heart was to see him, the part of her still smarting from her earlier personal embarrassment was quick to raise her heckles, “How did you know where I lived anyway? And what are you doing here?”

“You could always find another beer for me, and let me explain…” he suggested, moving tentatively forward to sit next to her on the doorstep.

“Shoot, I’m all out,” she sassed, “I only bought one.”

Maks raised an eyebrow witheringly, “Meryl, those are the same cheap-ass, six for seven dollars beers that I buy, so you’re not fooling me for a second.”

She dragged herself to her feet, knowing that she was probably protesting too much. Men like him knew that women like her just didn’t say no to him and mean it.

“Okay, but this better be good…” Taking a quick opportunity to check that Robbie was still soundly asleep in his room, she returned to the small kitchen and grabbed another beer for Maks before squeezing alongside him on the back step.

“You’re hogging the space,” she deadpanned, trying to supress the internal squeal her body was giving at the feel of his shoulder brushing against hers. He gave her a gentle nudge as if to push her from the step, and she couldn’t help but nudge back. Finally his eye caught hers and she could keep up her icy façade no longer.

“There it is,” he crowed, “I knew all that stuff about ice maidens had to be shit. I got a smile.”

“Maybe I’m just lulling you into a false sense of security,” she retorted, “after all, you know where I live now; that’s classified information. If your story isn’t good enough, I might be forced to kill you.”

He just laughed, and she chuckled herself; the two sounds mingling, heavy and light, deep and high, across the inky blackness of the suburban backyard, until silence fell and the only sound to be heard was Maks gently sloshing his beer about the bottle.

“I wanted to come to apologise for today,” he began, “I had no idea that you had a kid and needed to pick him up. I just jumped to conclusions and made an ass of myself.”

“Can we not talk about my son please…” Meryl began, her voice fading off as he reached a hand out to gently rest on her arm.

“We don’t have to if you don’t want to, but maybe you could hear me out first.”

There was a soft clunk as he put the beer bottle down on the flagstone below the step and reached back into his pocket for his phone. He played around for a second before he finally found what he was looking for and held it up to show Meryl.

From the screen, a beautiful baby girl dressed in a cute pink summer dress smiled up at her. She had the same mischievous dark eyes as the man currently sitting next to her.

“You have a daughter?” she couldn’t help but sound incredulous. She had had him pegged as a bit of a free spirit, a player, the kind of guy who would have a different girl every night. A father? Not so much.

He nodded proudly, flicking sideways to show Meryl more shots, and she couldn’t help but coo at the gorgeous little girl. “She’s the light of my life. She’s everything to me.”

“What’s her name?”

“Daria. She’s fourteen months old. Walking and talking and getting into everything.”

“She’s absolutely beautiful, Maks.” Meryl smiled, softening as she let the doting father show her more pictures.

“So I guess I should get to the point of why I came round,” Maks continued. “After you left today I spoke to Linda in the office. She wouldn’t tell me much, although,” he couldn’t help but grin, “It didn’t take much flirting for me to get your address out of her. You need to train your reception staff not to give out personal details so easily.”

She slapped his arm lightly, imagining him charming the pants off her middle aged receptionist with ease.

“Anyway, I got the impression today that you hadn’t wanted me to find out about you having a kid. I don’t know if I’m right or wrong but I wondered if maybe you were feeling uncomfortable about me finding out like I did after I’d been such an ass to you.”

“I was embarrassed,” Meryl found herself admitting, “I thought you’d think I was weird for not just mentioning it when I had to go and pick Robbie up.”

“I didn’t think you were weird for that, I thought you were weird for liking ice dance,” he joked, giving her a gentle nudge. “No, seriously, I didn’t think you were weird, I just wondered why you didn’t tell me.”

Meryl sighed, running a hand through her hair to push it away from her face in the way she often did when she was nervous. “It’s stupid,” she admitted, “I guess I just hadn’t told you because for once you were someone my age who wasn’t looking at me and thinking of me as _the girl who’s a single mom_. It’s been so long since I’ve had a conversation with anyone who didn’t know and wasn’t judging me, or pitying me, or thanking God that they weren’t in my position. I guess I just wanted you to see me as normal.”

“I’m not judging you, and I don’t see you as normal either,” he offered, “I see you as amazing.”

Meryl lifted her head to stare at him incredulously and he continued, “Linda said you live here with Robbie alone. She said that your family was back in Michigan, and that’s all I got out of her. So you’re here, a single mother, raising your son by yourself, and doing an amazing job running that rink and coaching all of those kids at the same time. Don’t talk to me about normal, that’s incredible, Meryl.” She wasn’t used to accepting compliments and she didn’t really know how to respond.

“I wish I was doing as good a job as you.”

“Wait? You… you’re a sing… what about Daria’s mom?”

He shook his head and laughed, “Daria’s mother hasn’t seen her since she was two months old.”

“Maks, you don’t have to tell me this if you…”

“It’s fine,” he rested a hand comfortingly on her knee and she hoped he hadn’t felt the shiver which had come over her whole body at his touch, “We don’t all have your confidentiality issues,” he smiled.

“Daria was born in May of last year. My dad was still running the studio then and I was still dancing. My girlfriend Svetlana and I were doing really well in competitions, and then we found out she was pregnant. She wasn’t keen on the idea at first but I was so happy. I’ve always wanted to be a father. I mean I love dancing, but I’ve always felt that having a family was what I was put here to do, you know?” she nodded, understanding completely.

“So what happened with Svetlana?”

“Well naturally I asked her to marry me. We’d been dating for years, we were living together. I knew we only had a couple of years of competing left in us at the most. She said yes but we decided to wait ‘til after the baby was born because she didn’t want to be pregnant and planning a wedding. Anyway, I took over the business from my dad; it seemed ideal because we could teach together after she’d had the baby.”

He stopped and took a slug of his beer, his free hand playing distractedly with his hair.

“After she gave birth I was so happy. I had my little family; it was all going to be great. But Svetlana felt completely differently about it. We had argument after argument. She didn’t really want much to do with Daria; she resented her and what she’d done to her dance career. One night I came home from the studio to find that she’d packed her bags and she was leaving me.”

Meryl couldn’t help but gasp. He looked so forlorn that her hand had reached out for his arm before she’d had time to think twice about it. He turned and gave her a smile full of such warmth and genuine appreciation that she wanted to reach out and put her arms around him. Wanted to, but couldn’t quite bring herself to, just yet.

“So she left?”

“She left,” he nodded, “Shortly after that she found a new partner, Viktor, and they did a few more competitions before they got asked onto that Dancing with the Stars show, and they’re engaged now. I haven’t heard from her much since then at all. She sent a card with money inside for Daria at Christmas but that was about it.”

Meryl was floored, they sat in silence for a few moments until it seemed to get to Maks and he had to crack a joke to break the tension.

“So that’s my sad single parent story, what’s yours?”

Meryl took a deep breath, she’d never really explained the whole thing from the start to anyone.

“Robbie is five,” she began, “before I got pregnant I was an ice dancer. I had a partner called Charlie, we competed at the World Championships, we were pretty much on our way to an Olympic medal in Vancouver, and then everything just came crashing down.”

She took another swig of the beer and wished it had a higher alcohol content; this wasn’t doing anything to calm her nerves.

“So as well as skating I was a sophomore in college. I was studying at the University of Michigan and because I was quite shy and wasn’t meeting people, my mom suggested that I join a sorority. I didn’t think I’d be accepted in a million years, but apparently looking like you might make the Olympic team wins you extra cool points or something, and they let me in. So I went to live in the sorority house and started joining in with life on campus, and then I met Dean. We started dating and I thought he was the greatest guy I’d ever met. Anyway, the next thing I knew I got pregnant. I freaked out and was totally in denial for a couple of months until I couldn’t hide it anymore. I told Dean and he flipped out. He didn’t want to know.”

“Ass…” Maks muttered under his breath, and she could see the anger playing across his features.

“I finally admitted that I was pregnant to my mom and dad and they were upset but they supported me completely. They even went to speak to Dean’s parents but the apple didn’t exactly fall far from the tree there; his parents helped him transfer to another college and said that they supported his decision to have nothing to do with me or the baby. Of course I also had to stop skating. Charlie said he’d wait for me, but it wasn’t fair on him. He’d just started dating another girl at our rink called Tanith, and her partner had to retire with a back injury, so I told him he needed to pair up with her. It was 2009 and there was no way I’d be back on the ice in time for the Olympics, he’d have a much better shot with her. He wanted to wait but I didn’t want to wreck both our careers.”

“What happened to him?”

“He and Tanith won the silver in Vancouver. He still keeps in touch, he’s a good guy, but I’ve never been able to watch him and Tanith skate. It’s not that I’m jealous of her for skating with him, it’s more that it hurts to think that it could have been me.”

“So what made you come out here? Your parents are still in Detroit?”

Meryl nodded, “It was just time, you know? I mean I’d been living with them ever since I got pregnant. They looked after Robbie so much for me so that I could finish my undergrad degree, then I started working at the rink. My boss Marina, who used to be my coach, had heard about the job here and she suggested I go after it. I think she was trying to encourage me to fly the nest a little, and I guess I did need a little bit of a push.”

“But it’s hard?”

“Yeah, it’s hard.”

She felt a large, warm hand against her own, and finally relaxed enough to let his fingers entwine with hers, her small hand nestling in his large paw perfectly.

“You know, I’ve got my mom and dad and all my support network here to help me. I don’t think I could do this all on my own.”

“I’d been managing okay, up until today.”

His thumb began absent-mindedly rubbing little circles against the back of her hand, sending shivers through her and making her feel like her bones would turn to jelly any second.

“I know you have, you’re doing an amazing job. I’m just saying, that if you need any help…”

“I don’t need help,” she couldn’t stop herself from replying a little too sharply.

He paused for a moment, but didn’t let go of her hand.

“How about I put it this way? _I_ need help. Sometimes I don’t want to always be relying on my mom and dad. I feel like I’m always owing them, I should be looking after them, not the other way around. How about we agree to help _each other_ out?”

Somehow that seemed more of an acceptable offer to Meryl.

“Okay, maybe I can deal with the mutual help thing,” she agreed.

“Let’s drink to that then,” Maks smiled, lifting his almost empty beer bottle and clinking it against hers.

“To not doing this alone!” he toasted.

“Not alone!” she agreed.

And when his arm snaked around her back, she finally gave in and allowed herself to lean her head against his shoulder. And this time she didn’t feel embarrassed about the possibilities running wild in her imagination. It wouldn’t hurt just this once.


	5. Chapter 4 - A Day at the Park

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Well I finally wrote the next chapter of this. I admit, I am the crappest updater in the history of updating. However, this is the first fic I’ve written in about four years which has made it past two chapters, so in the words of Meryl, “Yay!” 
> 
> Thank you so much to the lovely people who have sent me messages or left kudos, it totally makes my day that someone is reading and enjoying this. I did want to add the next part on but I thought it was better to post something and write the next bit afterwards. 
> 
> Again I’d like to put on a disclaimer that I’m not American so I might get things wrong occasionally (though I’d like props for the fact that I knew the U of M football team were called the Wolverines - being a Meryl fan has clearly taught me something). I’m also not a ballroom/latin dance aficionado, so Maks’ competitive background is totally fake (and the timeline of it probably doesn’t work).

He couldn’t help it. He’d just had to look. It felt strangely obtrusive, like he was watching something she’d wanted to keep hidden, but after the first YouTube video he’d found himself completely spellbound; her tiny, lithe form whipping around the rink with the blonde kid with the unruly hair, completely wrapped up in the music and the choreography. He’d never really gotten ice dance when he’d been working with the students. NOW he got ice dance.

“So,” he ventured, as he stood at the opposite side of the boards from where she leaned as they both watched Emma and Steven running their tango number. “I might have looked up your skating on YouTube…”

“Maks!” she groaned, bending over and leaning her head against the boards, “God I frickin’ hate the internet!”

“You were amazing!” he gushed, laughing at her embarrassment, “And hey, if you want to get even you can check out my competitive stuff. I’m even rocking a bad-ass ponytail.”

She looked up, “You did not.”

“Not forgetting the fake tan,” he added with a chuckle.

“I need to see this!” she laughed, pulling her phone from her pocket and waving Emma and Steven away to take a water break.

“Not here!” he laughed, “I was just kidding!”

“Fair’s fair!” she giggled as he unsuccessfully tried to wrestle the phone out of her grasp.

He made his way to the gap in the barrier, “What is this? I’ve seen yours so now you get to see mine?” he realised the double entendre as soon as it escaped his lips and couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow flirtatiously, wondering if he was imagining the pretty blush creeping its way across her cheeks.

“I feel quite safe out here,” Meryl sassed, “you’ve always said you’ll never get on the ice.”

“Hmm, we might need to remedy that…” Maks muttered under his breath, only to be interrupted by Meryl’s squeal.

“2002 US Classic! Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Svetlana Kuzetkova – SAMBA!” She waved the phone in the air in triumph whilst doing possibly the cutest, dorky celebratory dance he’d ever witnessed.

“Oh my God Maks! The ponytail!!”

“Why do I have the feeling I’m never going to live this down?” he groaned.

“Because you’re not,” she smiled, reaching out to pet his hair as he laid his head against the barrier in embarrassment.

He raised an eyebrow at her as though asking her how she was daring to pet him. She just shrugged and gave him a little smile. She knew she could get away with it.

*~*~*~*~

It was a blisteringly hot day and Meryl had almost been reluctant to leave the blissful coolness of the rink to head out and pick up Robbie. Once she’d collected him from day-care they headed out to the park, Robbie keen to let off steam on the swings and eyeing the small collection of fountains the other children were running about in with wonder.

“Mommy, please hurry!” he hopped from one foot to the other as she slathered sun screen on his fair skin, laughing at his impatience.

“The fountains will still be there in two minutes, Sweetie. And if I don’t put this on you, you’ll be as red as a lobster tomorrow and you’ll not be able to go outside at all.”

“Okay,” he agreed, screwing his nose up as she dotted it with sunscreen and rubbed it in.

“You’re done! Off you go!”

Robbie scampered off towards the fountains and was soon running, hopping and jumping through the shoots of water; squealing with delight. Meryl couldn’t help but smile widely at her gorgeous boy.

“Fancy meeting you here,” a deep voice interrupted her thoughts and she whipped around to find Maks behind her, a push-chair by his side.

“Maks!” she couldn’t help but beam, surprised to see him away from the rink. Her attention immediately turned to the push-chair and the adorable little girl dressed in a pretty pink sun dress.

“Oh Maks! She’s the image of you!” she leaned down to coo at the baby and reached out to smooth a hand across her dark hair. “Hello there beautiful!”

“Hi! Hi!” the little girl babbled happily in return.

“We’ve not worked on a formal handshake yet,” Maks joked, reaching down to pick up his daughter from the push-chair. “Meryl, this is Daria, or Dasha as she’s better known in our family.”

“Hi Daria!” Meryl was immediately enchanted and Dasha reached out a little hand towards her, obviously aiming for her long dark hair.

Maks gently pulled her hand back, “No, we don’t grab hair, no matter how long and pretty it is!” he laughed, pouting back at his daughter’s expression of displeasure.

“Oh Maks, she really is beautiful!”

“Thanks, I think so, but I’ll admit that I’m biased!” he grinned, setting Dasha down on her feet and keeping a close eye on her as she toddled around unsteadily at their feet. “So where’s Robbie?”

“Over in the fountains,” Meryl pointed towards her son, “he begged me to bring him from the moment I picked him up. I feel so guilty that he’s spent the whole day stuck in day-care – they do take them outside but it’s not the same as being at the park.”

“Don’t feel guilty,” Maks reassured her, “He’s having fun now – look!” They both cast their eyes towards Robbie as he careered through the fountains with abandon, completely soaked.

“Sploosh! Baf?!” Dasha pointed towards the fountains, looking hopefully at her father.

“No, not a bath,” Maks shook his head, as the little girl blissfully ignored him and started scampering towards the fountains as fast as her little legs would carry her.

“Dasha!” Maks took off towards her, scooping her up a few metres from the fountains.

“Nooooo!” she wailed, reaching her arms out towards the water.

Meryl couldn’t help but smile, “Is your daddy being a spoil sport?”

“I am NOT a spoil sport, but she’s only little and it’s a lot of water and I’d have to go in and get her and…” he took a look at the pitiful look his daughter was casting him. “Oh alright, on you go!”

He plopped her down on the floor and the little girl squealed with delight as she ran into the fountains. They both stood and watched their children, chatting contentedly and smiling, enjoying the sunshine and a chance to talk to another parent.

“I suppose I should get her out of there and head home,” Maks checked his watch reluctantly a short while later.

“Dasha! Dasha! Home time!” he inched his way towards the fountains, clearly unwilling to get wet.

“No!” Dasha squealed, running further into the water, delighted to escape her daddy’s grasp.

“Robbie!” Meryl called, “Could you get the little girl, Dasha? Her dad wants to take her home.”

He nodded and rushed off towards her, but Daria was having none of it. She let the little boy take her hand with a charming grin, then promptly sat down right in the middle of the fountains. Robbie looked at her with a perplexed expression.

“Do I pick her up?”

“No, no, no, no, no!” Dasha clapped her hands, eyes glinting with mischief.

“Good luck with that one when she’s a teenager,” Meryl grinned.

“Don’t try to pick her up Sweetie, you might drop her. Her daddy’s going to come in and get her!” she replied, giving Maks a nudge towards the fountains with a wink. “Someone’s going to get wet,” she teased.

He chuckled, catching her eye and the definite flirtatious tone to her voice. The next thing she knew he was stripping off his t-shirt, slinging it backwards over his shoulder towards her as he sauntered into the fountains. She stood there clutching it, praying her chin hadn’t hit the ground as she stared at his beautifully sculpted upper body. He looked back over his shoulder with a wink and she wasn’t unaware of the envious gazes from every other woman in the playground. It took precisely three seconds for him to be completely soaked, and she bit her lip as her eyes followed the curve of the muscles in his back, down to his ass which the wet denim of his jeans was now clinging to deliciously. God he was gorgeous.

She was so caught up in watching him that she’d barely noticed as he’d reached Dasha and stopped to speak to Robbie, whispering conspiratorially in the little boy’s ear. Whatever he’d said had clearly amused the small boy, his eyes growing round, nodding in delight.

“Well Meryl, it seems like everyone else here is wet so it’s only fair that you get to enjoy the fun too,” he explained, beginning to stalk back towards her. She realised almost too late, and dropped her bag, taking off across the playground as Maks began to chase her; the sound of Dasha and Robbie’s laughter ringing in her ears. It was futile really, trying to run from his much longer legs, and he’d soon caught up to her, his strong arms sweeping her off the ground from behind as she squealed, the back of her thin shirt dampening as he pressed his chest against her and carried her back towards the fountains.

“Mommy!” laughed Robbie, clapping his hand over his mouth in shock at seeing his mother acting like such a kid.

“Just wait til I get you for this, Maksim Chmerkovskiy!” she screamed, as he carried her, kicking her legs, into the fountains, holding her tight until she was as soaked through as he was.

“Now we’re even…” he whispered into her ear from behind, his arms still wrapped tightly around her middle. She let him turn her in his arms until they were face to face, neither one of them saying anything as their gazes caught. Gently, he reached up to tuck a strand of sopping wet hair behind her ear before wrapping his arms around her back again and pulling her chest flush against his, her nipples hardening immediately from the cold water and the contact with his very rock hard and very naked chest.

“Mommy!” Robbie’s voice broke out from a few yards away and immediately their gazes were torn from each other. “Are we still going for ice cream?” he looked hopefully towards his mother, obviously hoping that this new-found sense of fun extended to treats of the dessert variety. Dasha’s little ears pricked up at the mere mention of the word.

“Oh, don’t get her started on ice cream…” groaned Maks, “One taste of it at Grandma’s last week and I knew my ‘healthy eating’ battle was lost for the summer.”

“You can’t deny a girl ice cream you know Maks,” Meryl laughed, “but I have to admit that none of us is really dressed for it now.”

“Maybe take a rain check?” offered Maks, bending down to pick up Daria who was now beginning to look more than a little sleepy, clinging to her daddy and burrowing her face into his neck.

Meryl took one look at them and her heart melted. It was true what they said about a man and a baby; she could practically feel her ovaries exploding as she stood there. _Pathetic Davis, really pathetic_ , she scolded herself. She found herself emboldened though and before she’d really thought it through she’d opened her mouth and words were spilling out.

“So Robbie and I are going into the city tomorrow, since it’s Sunday. Just for a day out; we thought we might head to the zoo, see Central Park. He’s not been yet and he’s been begging me to take him since we got here. Would you guys like to join us? We could get ice cream?”

_Oh God. He’s going to think I’m ridiculously forward. He’s about ready to run in three, two, one…_

“That sounds great!” Maks nodded enthusiastically, “If it’s okay with Robbie? I don’t want us guys crashing your trip.”

The little boy nodded happily, “It’ll be cool! I can help look after Dasha and maybe I could bring my football?” he eyed Maks tentatively, obviously considering his football throwing prowess.

“You bet, little dude! You’re a football fan too?” Maks crouched down to high five the little boy, ruffling his short brown hair.

“I’m gonna play for the Wolverines!” he declared certainly.

Maks nodded seriously before standing back up, “We’ll talk about that buddy…”

“You did not just diss my home team!” Meryl sassed him, “I might have to reconsider my invitation…”

Maks held his spare hand up in defence, “I’m saying nothing!” he laughed as they walked back to the stroller and put a now sleeping Daria inside. “So, early tomorrow?”

“Is eight-thirty too early?”

“I have a fourteen-month-old. I’ll have been up for hours by that point!”

She winced, “I’ve got Robbie trained to stay in his room until seven-thirty these days. It was the first time on the clock he learned to tell!”

“I’ll get you working on this one,” he joked, looking towards his sleeping daughter affectionately.

“So…” she felt a little awkward at how to end the conversation.

“I guess we’ll see you tomorrow,” he finished for her. And she nodded, reaching up on her tiptoes to place a kiss against his cheek – a sudden wave of confidence bursting within her. He rewarded her with a full on grin which lit up his whole face, crinkling his beautiful blue eyes.

Oh boy, she was in trouble here.


	6. Chapter 5 - Summer in the City

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So this has to be some sort of record for me. I don’t think I’ve updated a fic twice in two days since about 2002. Special thanks to the lovely people who left me notes, you guys are so sweet and it made me write quicker knowing that there are lovely people reading! 
> 
> Anyway, this chapter is all very fluffy! I’ll try to update soon but I go back to work tomorrow (in fact I should be in bed just now because it’s nearly 2am) after 7 weeks of holiday so I’ll probably be too tired to write anything coherent!

**Two Halves of a Whole**

**Chapter 5 - Summer in the City**

Meryl sat contentedly on the picnic blanket munching an apple and smiling as Maks and Robbie tossed a football around a few feet away.  It was a warm day but a refreshing breeze coasted across the rolling grassy slopes of Central Park where they’d enjoyed a fun-filled morning.  Beside her on the blanket, shaking a sippy cup of water happily, sat Dasha; a little white sunhat protecting her from the rays.

“So little one, have you had fun today?” Meryl asked, reaching over to offer the toddler a fruit stick to chew on.  She was rewarded with a toothy grin and two chubby arms reaching in her direction.  She reached out and drew the baby onto her lap, trying to ignore the little flutter in her heart as she snuggled into her arms.  It seemed like such a long time since Robbie had been at the baby stage.

Maks had said that Dasha normally took a nap after lunch and she could tell that she was getting sleepy.  Meryl was content to let her snooze in her arms while she watched the boys having fun with the football.  Robbie had been very considerate of her feelings; he’d told her gravely that even though he’d prefer to play football with Maks, she was still the best mom at throwing a ball he’d ever seen. 

“Touchdown!” she heard him holler, punching a fist into the air before running towards Maks and throwing his arms around his knees, such was the height difference.

“Way to go!” Maks cheered, reaching down to pick him up, to the obvious delight of the little boy.

Meryl couldn’t help but feel conflicted as she watched the idyllic scene.  She wasn’t remotely in denial, she knew she was falling for him.  Not only was he ridiculously good looking but they had heaps in common, he made her laugh and he was so sweet and considerate towards her.  She knew it should be quite simple, but she wasn’t sure that he felt the same.  After all, maybe he just saw her as a friend who was in a similar situation to whom he could offer mutual support?

“Mommy!”  Robbie’s voice interrupted her thoughts as Maks headed back towards the picnic blanket with the little boy on his shoulders.  “Maks said we could go to the carousel!”

“If it’s okay with your mom,” Maks finished for him, lowering Robbie back down to the ground.

“Well it’s a good thing the carousel is my favourite fairground ride!” Meryl smiled, standing up to put a sleeping Dasha back in her stroller. 

“Yay!” Robbie cheered, “Can we go now?”

*~*~*~*~

A short while later they arrived at the Central Park Carousel.  Dasha had woken up by this point and had demanded to walk.  Robbie had sweetly taken her hand and helped her toddle along the paths, chatting to her along the way.

“Hosses!” Dasha squealed with glee as they rounded the corner and saw the carousel. 

“And we get to ride them Dasha!” Robbie bent down to explain to her, the little girl’s eyes widening even further with excitement. 

They waited in line for a short while, Robbie trying desperately to contain his impatience, before they were finally allowed on the ride. 

“Can I go on a horse myself Mommy?”  he asked, clambering up onto a blue and green horse and gripping the pole tightly.

“If you’re really careful now,” she agreed.

“You can ride with Maks!” Robbie suggested, and Meryl couldn’t help but blush.

“Are you worried about your momma going on by herself?” Maks teased.  “Don’t worry buddy, I’ll take good care of her.”  And with that he held a hand out to help Meryl onto a horse, passing her Dasha to sit up front.  The next thing she knew he’d climbed up behind her and was slipping an arm around her waist, his breath gently blowing the loose tendrils of her hair as he smiled over her shoulder at Dasha.

The ride started and his arms tightened around her, heat radiating from his chest pressed tightly against her back.  Meryl was caught between the feeling of worry that Robbie might fall off, and the feeling of exhilaration at being in such close proximity to Maks.

“I’m having a really great day,” Maks whispered softly into her ear, “Thanks for inviting us.”

 “I’m glad you came,” she admitted, twisting round to catch his eye, smiling shyly.

And if she wasn’t mistaken she felt a pair of lips kiss the top of her head so gently she wondered if it had even happened.

*~*~*~*~*~*~

“So, pizza?” Maks suggested as they made their way along the insanely busy sidewalk, Robbie gripping Meryl’s hand like a vice as he gazed open-mouthed in wonder at the lights of Times Square.

“Sounds good,” Meryl agreed, “Although I think this one might be a little distracted.”

They found a pizza restaurant which wasn’t too busy and looked family friendly and were soon seated; Robbie insisting on taking the seat next to Maks, Dasha in a high chair next to Meryl.  After a good-natured debate over the merits of pepperoni versus plain cheese, an agreement had been reached and the waitress returned their order. 

“So buddy, what do you make of the city?”  Maks enquired, looking down at Robbie who thoughtfully sipped his juice and raised an eyebrow in careful thought.

“I thought it was cool!” the little boy eventually exclaimed, “I’ve seen it on tv before, you know?”  he explained seriously, and Maks nodded, maintaining his demeanour.  “But it’s bigger when you’re here and it was so fun that you and Dasha came too!”

“Thanks for letting us come Robbie, we’ve had fun too, haven’t we Dasha!”

“No!” Dasha squealed, causing them all to laugh heartily.  It had become very obvious over the course of the day that that particular word was her current favourite.

“Maybe you could come out with us again?” suggested Robbie.  “I mean, Mommy and me have fun together but it’s more fun for her to have another grown up and I’m real good at helping with Dasha, right?”

Maks nodded, “Definitely, you’re an expert with her, buddy!  And your mommy and I will talk later about us coming out with you guys again, okay?”  He raised an eyebrow at Meryl and she had to stop herself from jumping out of her seat as she felt a foot gently nudge against her leg under the table.  She blushed furiously and tried not to giggle like a teenager as she noticed the teasing expression on Maks’ face, instead busying herself with passing another bite-sized piece of pizza to Dasha.

Conversation continued innocently with Maks asking Robbie about his friends at day care and Robbie asking about Maks’ work at the studio.  Finally the waitress came to clear the table.

“So are you guys just visiting?” she enquired as Maks dealt with the check, which he had insisted on getting.

“We’re from New Jersey,” Robbie explained proudly. “We went to Central Park today!”

“Oh I bet that was fun!” the waitress grinned. “Did you have fun too, honey?” she leaned down to ruffle Dasha’s hair and was rewarded with a gorgeous toothy grin.

“Well have a great night y’all.  You’re such a cute family!”  She smiled happily, taking the check from Maks and waving a quick thank you before leaving them.

Robbie seemed oblivious to the whole exchange but Meryl found her face colouring once more and Maks looked a little bashful. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Meryl coughed. “Easy mistake to make, right?”

“Right,” agreed Maks, as they packed up and headed out of the restaurant. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was early evening by the time their train arrived back home and Robbie was full of energy after sitting still for the entire ride.  They bundled Dasha into her stroller and headed back towards Meryl’s apartment which was only a short walk from the station.

“Can I push the stroller?” Robbie begged Maks, “I’ll be real careful, I promise!”

“Sure buddy, you’ll have to use your muscles though, okay?” Maks agreed, smiling, and Robbie took control of the stroller, barely even able to see over the top of it himself.

“He’s so good with her,” he admitted to Meryl, “You’ve done a great job with him, he’s a great kid.”

“Thanks,” she smiled, “It’s not been easy, but he’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“I sometimes wonder if I’m doing a good job,” Maks admitted, “I mean, I knew nothing about babies before Dasha came along.  Sometimes I feel like I’m just completely guessing and someone’s gonna come along and tell me that I shouldn’t be allowed to look after her by myself!”

“I still feel like that sometimes,” she laughed, “But you should know that you’re doing a wonderful job.  She’s got a daddy who adores her and takes really good care of her.  She’s a lucky little girl.”

They continued walking for a few moments in silence, before Meryl felt him reach down and ever so gently slip her hand into his.  She looked down, wondering if she was imagining it, until he began to rub little circles on the back of her hand with his thumb.

“Is this okay?” he whispered, as she raised her head to look him in the eye, nodding and giving his hand a gentle squeeze of reassurance.

It was more than just okay.

*~*~*~*~*~*~

Meryl hadn’t needed to worry about inviting Maks in when they’d arrived back at the house; Robbie had already done the job for her.  Begging him and Dasha to stay for a while and offering to watch cartoons with the little girl to keep her entertained.  It had soon started to get dark and Meryl had fixed them all sandwiches as a quick snack since they’d already had pizza earlier but Robbie had started to get hungry. 

After dinner they’d gone out to the back yard for a little while, with Robbie and Dasha running off some energy before Maks suggested they go back in and watch cartoons.  He insisted that Meryl stay out where they’d been sitting together on the step, laying a sleepy Dasha on the couch and helping Robbie start up a DVD.  He returned and sat next to her, both able to keep an eye on the kids in the living room but far enough away that they could have a conversation without little ears listening in.

“So, I had a really good time today,” he smiled, crossing his arms and gazing up towards her.

“I did too,” she smiled back, “In fact, if I’m being honest; it’s been a really long while since I had such a good time.”

“I’m glad you asked us.  I’ve been meaning to take Dasha out to the city for a while but it didn’t seem quite the same just the two of us.”

She nodded, “I know what you mean, it’s not easy being a single parent and seeing families on days out.”

There was a comfortable silence between them for a few moments, before Maks reached out and took the glass of water from her hand, placing it down on the step beside him and standing up, holding a hand out to her.

“Dance with me?” he offered, immediately setting Meryl’s heart into overdrive.  The next thing she knew, he’d reached down to take her hand and had pulled her gently to her feet.

“I’m not much of a dancer,” she protested weakly.

“Sure you are,” he replied softly, “I’ve seen the videos, remember?” and he reached a strong arm around her waist, pulling her against him, his left hand gently grasping her right, again tracing little circles against her skin, sending shivers through her.

“What are we dancing to?” she laughed, as he began to sway them slowly from side to side.

“Ideally something more romantic than cartoon music,” he chuckled, “I guess we just need to use our imagination.”

The hand holding hers let go momentarily, and he ghosted a trail up the bare skin of her arm, his index finger reaching out to tip her chin up until he could look into her eyes.

“You are so beautiful,” he whispered, “D’you think Robbie would object if I were to ask his mommy if I could kiss her?”

She shook her head, completely unable to form a coherent response, and then he was leaning closer until his lips finally reached hers.  It was soft and sweet, and she raised herself up on her tiptoes, resting her hands against his chest as he encircled her waist more tightly, drawing her towards him until not a sliver of light remained between their bodies. 

“Is this okay?” he asked softly after they had broken apart.  She just nodded and lifted herself back up onto her tiptoes  to press her lips once more against his.  He was so big, yet so gentle.  He made her feel so fragile and feminine, like his arms could protect her from anything.  She felt his tongue flick out to trace the seam of her lips and she didn’t need to be asked twice, opening her mouth to allow his tongue entrance, her hands reaching up to tangle in his impossibly soft hair as they discovered each other’s mouths more fully.  She felt almost dizzy at the sensation, it had been years since she’d been kissed and even then she’d never been kissed like this. 

Finally they broke apart, a little out of breath, Meryl blushing like crazy. “So it’s been awhile since I’ve done this…” Maks admitted.

“Me too,” she giggled, and he couldn’t help but reach down and place a soft little peck against her lips again. 

“I don’t want to rush this,” he admitted.  “I mean, God, I _want to_ don’t get me wrong!  I just…”

She leaned up to kiss him again, “Don’t worry, I feel the same.  It’s been a long time for me.  I know we’ve not talked about it too much, but we were both hurt.  We need to take our time.”

“Who would ever hurt you?” he shook his head and reached down to tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear, “You’re perfect, you deserve to be treated like a princess.”

He reached down to kiss her once more and they both sank into it.  Meryl could feel the tension building in her body, a warm heat beginning to pool low in her centre.  God, if he could make her feel like this just by kissing her then she could only imagine…

“We should probably head back inside before Robbie comes looking for us and we have difficult questions to answer,” he smiled, running a hand down her arm and sending a shiver through her body.

“Probably,” she agreed reluctantly, letting him take her hand and lead her back inside.  The kids had both fallen asleep; Dasha on the couch and Robbie in front of the tv.  She helped Maks get Dasha into the car and waited for him to finish buckling the car seat.

“So,” he started, turning to face her, his feet wide apart to allow her to stand between his legs, arms wrapped around his neck.  “Do I get a goodnight kiss?”

“Since you’ve been good…” she teased, leaning in to let her mouth roam against his once more.  He raked his hands through her long hair, down her back, pulling her fully against him and pulling away finally when they were both gasping for air.  They both erupted into laughter, feeling a little like teenagers again.

“See you tomorrow?” he suggested, beginning to get into the car.

“For sure,” she agreed, leaning through the open window to give him one last kiss.  They bid each other goodnight and she waved as he backed the car out of the drive and headed out onto the road.  Heading back into the house she stopped to lean against the doorframe, completely exhilarated and feeling like she could dance her way inside. 

Maybe this was what love felt like.


	7. Chapter 6 - I Can't Help Falling in Love With You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here’s the next part of Two Halves of a Whole. First off I need to apologise for not having updated since last weekend. I went back to work this week after 7 weeks off and every night I’ve come home and fallen asleep on the couch before 8pm. I eventually stopped switching my computer on and resigned myself to writing this all today. 
> 
> Secondly, I have to say an absolutely massive thank you to all the people who either liked or responded to my last chapter. I was beginning to think that not many people were reading and was wondering if it was really worth continuing to write but the response was absolutely amazing and has really motivated me and given me the confidence to continue. 
> 
> Since this is currently the longest author’s note in the history of author’s notes, I may as well add that there’s a mild bit of smut in this chapter. Not very much, because I happen to completely suck at writing it, but I guess it’s leading up to it so I just thought I’d better warn you!
> 
> Part of the inspiration for the soccer scene (God it’s hard remembering not to call it football) in the following chapter came from watching our new Primary 1 class having their first gym lesson last week. 25 four year olds changing from their school uniforms into a gym kit for the first time = thank the Lord I don’t teach Primary 1 anymore. God bless their poor teacher, I hope she’s had a lot of wine this weekend.

Meryl reached down to struggle with the laces of Robbie’s soccer boots, silently cursing herself for having been vain enough to wear a skirt, albeit a casual one, to his game that morning. Tying laces was definitely the next thing she was going to teach him.

“Oh my god…” she heard the voice of one of the other moms standing close by, exclaiming in a low tone to the woman standing next to her.

“What?”

“Total hottie, two o’clock,” the first woman continued to her friend. “Which kid does he belong to, because I am setting up a playdate right NOW!”

“Playdate? I can think of _other things_ I’d do to him…” the second woman cackled, as Meryl finished tying the laces and looked up, intrigued to see who had caught the mothers’ attention, before colouring as she noticed Maks striding casually towards her, Dasha in his arms.

The coach whistled from the field and the kids ran towards him, Maks reaching her, the gazes of the other mothers on the touchline still clearly on him, though he seemed completely oblivious to it.

“Hey,” he approached her softly, looking a little like he didn’t know how to greet her in such a public place. Meryl put him out of his misery, reaching up on her tip toes to give him a peck somewhere a bit too close to his mouth to be considered just friendly, but not too close as to remove any mystery.

“Hey to you guys too,” she smiled, reaching out to stroke Dasha’s cheek and trying not to squeal with delight when Maks reached out his free arm to snake around her waist, pulling her to stand by his side.

“So who are we up against?” he asked seriously, turning his attention to the impending game on the field.

“Well…” Meryl began, mimicking his own serious sports tone, “It’s West Park’s Under 5’s team, so competition looks to be fierce, but I’m confident our guys have it.”

The whistle blew and immediately multiple pairs of tiny feet started running in all directions; some towards the ball, others towards the touchline to find Mommy, some just stood on the spot looking dazed and bemused.

“It’s under 5’s,” Meryl laughed, “We’re still working on the whole _you kick the ball and it goes in the goal_ thing.”

“Hey, Robbie’s got the idea though!” exclaimed Maks, “Go Robbie!!!”

Sure enough, little Robbie had the ball and was slowly making his way across the pitch towards the goal, which had been left open by the opposing team’s goalie who had wandered off to inspect a dog which had wandered onto the edge of the field.

“He looks so determined!” he laughed and Meryl nodded.

“He’s been watching the World Cup and he’s inspired. He couldn’t understand why the USA didn’t have a team and I had to explain to him we’d already been knocked out. His plan is to single-handedly win the next one for us.”

“I thought he wanted to play for the Wolverines?”

“Oh he’s thought the whole thing out; apparently the seasons aren’t conflicting so he can do both,” she smiled. “Oh and he’ll still have time to fit in being an astronaut on the weekends, obviously.”

“Obviously!” agreed Maks with a chuckle, before cheering as Robbie finally kicked the ball over the goal line, celebrating in style while the majority of his team mates remained oblivious. “He’s gonna have to work on his team though!”

The game continued for a short while longer and finally the whistle blew, signifying a victory for Robbie’s team. He came running back over to them; out of breath and beaming, a little plastic medal clutched in his hand.

“I got a medal!” he squealed, barrelling into Meryl and hugging her knees fiercely, “And I scored a goal! Did you see me, Mommy?”

“I did!” she exclaimed, bending down to hug him properly, “I’m so proud of you!”

They oohed and ahhed over his victory for a few minutes before Meryl excused herself to go and speak to Robbie’s coach about when his next game was scheduled for, leaving Maks and Robbie to catch up. She was scarcely away for a minute when one of the women who’d been standing close by when he’d arrived, approached them, a small blonde boy by her side.

“Hi,” she drawled, placing her hands on her son’s shoulders and smiling warmly at Maks, “I’m Denise, Taylor’s mom.”

“Ehh, hi,” Maks greeted her politely, reaching out to shake the hand she had proffered towards him.

She fiddled coquettishly with the chunky gold chain around her neck. “So Taylor is _always_ talking about Robbie, and I was thinking you know, that it would be so nice for them to get together and play outside of soccer.”

Taylor looked entirely bemused by this statement considering he hadn’t really been aware who Robbie was until he’d scored the game’s only goal five minutes earlier.

“So, what do you say Robbie, d’you think your dad would bring you over to play at our house? We’ve got a pool!”

“I’m not his…”

“A pool?! Cool!” Robbie interrupted Maks before he could explain.

“Of course, you’d be very welcome too…” she droned nasally, reaching out a perfectly manicured finger to rest against Maks’ shoulder. He stepped back to escape her grasp, Dasha seemed mildly offended by her presence and began to fuss.

“I’m not Robbie’s father,” Maks explained clearly, “You’ll need to speak to Meryl, his mom.”

“Oh,” she seemed disappointed, the smile plastered on her face immediately dropping.

Meryl chose that moment to reappear, noticing the vulture circling Maks and grinning at his obvious discomfort at the situation.

“Meryl!” he exclaimed in relief, reaching out to circle her waist, pulling her none-too-subtly against him.

“Meryl,” Denise drawled, “I was just saying that we need to organise a playdate for Taylor and Robbie. This lovely gentleman said you were the one to talk to?”

“Sure,” Meryl agreed, knowing that she’d probably never hear from the woman again, but finding it easier to play along. After all, she’d been taking Robbie to soccer for nearly two months and had never been deemed worthy of as much as a “hello” up until then.

Denise grinned falsely, her eyes continuing to appraise Maks. “So aren’t you going to introduce me to your…” she paused knowingly for a moment, “…friend?”

“This is Maks,” she smiled, suddenly hit by a pang of uncertainty, not really sure how to continue. They’d only kissed for the first time the previous night and hadn’t had a chance to discuss things further. “My…”

“…her boyfriend,” Maks finished for her, giving her side a comforting squeeze and looking Denise squarely in the eye, almost daring her to challenge it.

“Hmm,” she smiled, her obviously surgically-enhanced lips setting in a hard line. “Well, I guess Taylor and I will see you all at the next game.” And with that she grabbed her son by the shoulders and marched him away towards the other gaggle of mothers who had been regarding the whole conversation like a pack of baying dogs.

Silence fell for a moment between the two of them until Robbie interrupted, “Are you my mommy’s boyfriend?” he looked up at Maks, a perplexed look on his face, as though he was trying to work the whole thing out.

“We’ll talk about that later,” Meryl ruffled his hair, as they all headed back across the park to where Maks had left his car.

“I have a girlfriend,” Robbie announced, as Meryl helped him buckle in next to Dasha in her car seat. She could hear Maks trying to supress a chuckle, and was glad for the light relief.

“So what’s her name, buddy?” Maks asked, as he and Meryl got in the front.

Robbie paused to consider his answer, “Megan, I think…” he replied, “but sometimes it’s Lucy because Megan doesn’t share her cookies at snack time.”

“I hope your mommy shares her cookies…” Maks deadpanned in response, raising his eyebrow at Meryl cheekily and earning a playful slap on the leg in retort.

“She does!” Robbie continued earnestly, “I think she’d probably be quite a good girlfriend! And I don’t think she has cooties either!”

“That’s an important point, buddy!” Maks agreed as he and Meryl struggled to silently control their laughter.

One thing was for sure; there wasn’t going to be a lot of subtlety in their relationship with two kids around!

*~*~*~*~*~

The next day was July fourth and Maks had shyly asked Meryl and Robbie to the big barbecue his family always threw at his parents’ house. He’d been a little nervous, worrying that perhaps she’d think it was too early to meet his parents when they still hadn’t really had a discussion about what they were doing or where they were going, but the thought of her not being there was almost physically painful at this point, and the desire to share the evening with both her and Robbie won out.

Meryl’s room looked like a hurricane had blown through. Nearly every piece of clothing she owned was currently decorating the furniture as she tried to decide on a suitable outfit for the evening. Her complete indecision wasn’t aided by Robbie, who had _helped_ by first picking out a bridesmaid dress left over from a friend’s wedding, and secondly a borderline indecent Halloween costume she’d kept from her pre-pregnancy days.

Finally she’d settled on a cute blue summer dress with white ballerina flats, though she’d changed at least ten times before she heard a buzz at the door and the pounding of Robbie’s feet as he ran to let Maks and Dasha in.

“Hey Buddy!” she heard him greet the little boy, “Where’s your mom?”

She put the last finishing touches to her make-up, trying to stop second guessing herself about what was too much or too little lipstick, before grabbing a purse and heading into the hallway.

Maks’ eyes roamed up and down before meeting hers with a grin, obviously liking what he saw.

“You look beautiful,” he whispered to her, as he reached out to kiss her cheek. They’d still not kissed properly since the night in her back yard. Somehow it didn’t seem right in front of the kids.

Bundling everyone up into the car, they were soon on their way across town to Maks’ parents’ place. Meryl had offered to drive so that Maks could have a beer and she tapped nervously against the steering wheel as she drove, causing Maks to reach out across the console to take her hand.

“Relax,” he reassured her, “They’re going to love you.”

She slipped her fingers through his, enjoying the feeling of how protected he made her feel, her small hand in his much larger one.

“Did you tell them you were bringing us?”

“Uh huh,” he nodded, “They might be just a little bit excited to meet you…”

“Oh.”

“Please don’t be alarmed by their…enthusiasm,” he struggled to find the right words and she laughed.

“Just so long as they don’t hate me.”

He gave her hand a quick squeeze before reaching up to brush her cheek tenderly, “No chance. They’re going to love you!”

*~*~*~*~*~*~

Maks’ parents’ house was beautiful. They’d obviously spent a lot of time and care with it and the large yard was decorated in all shades of red, white and blue for the holiday. Maks had explained that being immigrants made his family all the more proudly American on days such as this. They’d parked the car and headed straight around the house to the back yard, Maks taking Meryl’s hand, with Robbie holding a toddling Dasha’s in front of them.

“Relax,” he whispered to her again, taking a quick look around and placing a soft kiss on her lips before they rounded the corner.

The yard was already busy; Maks had tried to explain who would be there, but had reassured her not to worry if she didn’t remember names, and not to freak out if conversation reverted to Russian. As soon as they appeared from the back gate, every head seemed to turn to look at them, and Meryl felt a deep blush travel across her face as she was unaccustomed to being the focus of such attention.

“Maks!” a middle aged woman hurried towards them, extending her arms and smiling warmly, “Finally you’re here! And this must be Meryl!”

She reached out to hug Meryl, kissing both cheeks and regarding her approvingly, “Such a beautiful girl!” she exclaimed, before calling her husband away from the barbecue to meet them.

Over the next few hours Meryl met what felt like every member of Maks’ family, and she could honestly say she’d never felt more welcome in her life. Maks’ grandmother had taken a particular shine to Robbie and was chatting happily to him in Russian as he replied in English; both seeming to think it was the most natural thing in the world.   She had sat with Dasha on her lap, talking to Maks’ mother and earning appreciative glances from all the family as she’d calmed the baby when she’d began to fuss, and charmed them all with her genuinely sweet nature.

Darkness soon began to fall and Maks’ brother, Val declared it was fireworks time. Dasha sat contentedly on her grandfather’s shoulders and Robbie and Grandma Chmerkovskiy were happily ensconced on deck chairs facing the end of the yard where the show would take place.

“So I’ve finally got you to myself,” Maks chuckled softly, coming up behind her and circling his arms around her slim waist, stooping down to rest his chin on top of her head. “I knew my family would love you, but they need to learn to share.”

“You have such a wonderful family, Maks,” she replied, sliding her hands atop his arms, feeling what was beginning to become a familiar shiver flit through her as his thumb drew impossibly gentle circles against the soft skin of her arm.

“We haven’t really had a chance to talk since the other night,” Maks continued, swaying their bodies almost imperceptibly from side to side as the soft evening breeze fluttered the skirt of Meryl’s dress. “Are you okay with where we’re going?”

She turned slowly in his arms and let her hands flatten against his chest, gazing up at him as the first of the fireworks began to go off, “I know we’ve not talked about it, but I’m hoping we’re both on the same page about where we’re going.” she smiled.

“Soo…” Maks continued, bending down to rest his forehead against hers and dropping his voice to an almost whisper. “We…” he ghosted a kiss against her cheek.

“…are going to see…” he kissed the other cheek.

“…where this takes us…” he kissed her forehead.

“…and if it means…” the tip of her nose.

“…falling in love with you…” his lips brushed over her now closed eyes.

“…then I don’t think I can stop myself,” he paused, waiting for her to open her eyes before his gaze fell to her lips and he reached out to capture them passionately with his own. His kiss was driven with a fire that she hadn’t felt before; their first kisses had been sweet and hesitant; this was hot and searching. His tongue almost immediately sought entrance into her mouth, sweeping against her own tongue as his arms tightened around her waist to lift her entirely off the ground. She kissed back ardently, completely lost in the feel of his lips, his tongue, his body pressed against hers as his free hand roamed her back. It took every piece of self-control she possessed not to wrap her legs around his waist and demand he carry her around the side of the house to take her against the wall. Instead she revelled in the feeling of his tongue exploring every nook of her mouth, the softness of his hair as she raked her fingers through it; before they both broke away, completely dishevelled and breathless.

Gently, he lowered her back to the ground, reaching a hand out to brush his thumb across her now thoroughly kiss-swollen lips, both of them suddenly breaking into giggles, the kiss having released a lot of the pent up tension they’d both been feeling since he’d picked her up earlier that day.

“I know we said we should take things slowly…” he started.

Meryl smiled, noticing the shimmer of blues and reds, reflected from the exploding fireworks, shining back at her from his eyes. “I think we’re beginning to get past slow,” she agreed.

“I’ve not done this in such a long time, Meryl,” he admitted, “But I’m not going to lie when I tell you that I’ve never felt this strongly about someone so quickly before.”

She nodded, “Maks, we’ve both been hurt, but I really feel like someone up there was looking down on us. Like somehow, I was meant to meet you and you were meant to meet me.”

He reached down to kiss her again, more softly this time, his hand reaching out to gently tilt her chin up, before tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

“So we stop worrying about rushing, and just go with what feels right?”

“Sounds good to me,” she agreed, reaching up to kiss him once more and breaking into laughter as the boom of a sudden firework made her jump.

He gazed at the reflection of the fireworks in her eyes and thought silently to himself that her laughter was like music.

*~*~*~*~

It was nearly ten by the time they arrived back at Maks’ house. Both the kids were still awake, probably due to the sheer volume of sugar they’d each consumed, thanks to various elderly Chmerkovskiy family members, and Robbie had chattered excitedly about the fireworks and how much fun he’d had playing with Val.

“So do you guys want to come in for a bit?” Maks asked nervously as he unbuckled his seatbelt.

Meryl felt a little torn. On one hand, the sensible side of her told her it was late and that she should really get Robbie home to his bed. But on the other hand, she knew it was a holiday, neither she nor Maks had work the next day, and Robbie was so high on sugar that he was never going to go to sleep before eleven anyway.

“Sure,” she smiled, getting out of the car and helping Maks with a babbling Dasha.

Maks’ place was well-decorated but definitely needed a woman’s touch, Meryl noted to herself as they headed inside. The furniture was nice but there was a distinct lack of the kind of knick-knacks she enjoyed decorating her apartment with, though there were plenty of photographs of Dasha and other members of the Chmerkovskiy clan.

“DVD?” Maks suggested to Robbie, as they entered the living room, being met by an enthusiastic nod from the little boy. Immediately they both started raking through Maks’ collection for something they’d all enjoy, settling on a Disney movie.

Maks left them all to get comfy on the couch and made mugs of hot chocolate for them as well as a cup of warm milk for Dasha, then he joined them; Meryl making space for him behind her, until all four of them were cuddled up together on the couch; Dasha resting in Meryl’s arms, Robbie tucked happily into the crook of Maks’ arm.

“I like this,” he admitted softly, snuggling up closer to Maks, not noticing the tender glance passed between the man and his mother.

Fifteen minutes later and they were all enthralled in the movie, except Dasha who had burrowed into Meryl’s shoulder, her little fist beginning to rub her eyes sleepily. Maks made to get up, but Meryl gently placed a hand on his arm to stop him; she knew her son was enjoying the time with him and she didn’t want to interrupt the fun they were both having watching the movie.

“How about I put her to bed?” she suggested, “If that’s okay?” she didn’t want to cross any lines.

“Of course it is,” Maks smiled, “as long as you don’t mind?”

“I’d love to,” she smoothed the infant’s hair gently with her hand, “it seems like such a long time ago since that one was this age.”

Maks nodded understandingly, “Her room’s the first left at the top of the stairs.”

She climbed the stairs slowly, her heart swelling at the feel of the baby’s cheek nestled against her neck. She was a gorgeous little girl, and already Meryl was beginning to feel an attachment developing to her. She found the room without any trouble; the pretty pink door sign declaring her name more than a bit of a clue. Inside, her room was decorated much more warmly than the rest of the house; a beautiful crib stood against the far wall, with a rocking chair in the corner, wallpaper with fluffy pink rabbits winding its way around the room. Meryl took a few moments to locate the little girl’s sleep suit, changing her diaper and clothing quickly, before settling into the rocking chair with Dasha still in her arms.

“So it’s been a while since I’ve done this, Dasha,” she cooed, beginning to rock the chair softly back and forth, rubbing slow circles on the baby’s back as she rested her head against Meryl’s shoulder. “But I’m going to give it my best shot, so no complaining if my singing isn’t up to your daddy’s standards, okay?”

“ _A dream is a wish your heart makes…_ ” she began to sing softly, feeling the little girl’s breathing begin to even out, puffing against the skin of her neck.

_“When you’re fast asleep,”_ she closed her own eyes, just enjoying the feeling of the baby snuggled into her, and the rhythmic rocking of the chair.

_“In dreams you will lose your heartaches,_  
Whatever you wish for, you keep  
Have faith in your dreams and someday  
Your rainbow will come smiling through  
No matter how your heart is grieving  
If you keep on believing  
The dream that you wish will come true.”

She opened her eyes, realising that Dasha was now fast asleep, standing up as carefully as she could so as not to wake her, then placing her in the crib, making sure she was comfortable.

“Sleep tight Dasha,” she whispered, bending down and kissing the baby’s head.

It was only when she turned that she realised she had an audience. Maks stood leaning against the doorframe, an expression she couldn’t quite read playing across his beautiful features.

“Hey,” she whispered, moving towards him out of the room, letting him gently close the door behind them both. He slipped his arms around her and reached his hand up to tuck her long hair behind her ear.

“D’you remember I said I might fall in love with you?” he began, leaving the hand against her cheek.

She nodded wordlessly.

“It’s too late,” he continued, “I already have. I’m hopelessly, completely in love with you,” and before she could answer, he’d bent down to kiss her and she’d responded hungrily, overwhelmed by her feelings for this man.

“I love…” she kissed him again, “you too,” she finally managed to gasp between kisses, her breathing beginning to quicken as his lips left hers to move first to her jaw, then slowly to the sensitive skin of her neck, causing her to whimper as her legs almost buckled beneath her.

“Please stay,” he almost begged, pressing his forehead against hers and looking intensely into her eyes.

“But Robbie…”

“Stay. I have a spare room,” he explained, “he’s already asleep on the couch. I can carry him up…”

She didn’t need to be asked twice, his lips were continuing their travels and had reached her collarbone, nipping and sucking and probably leaving all kinds of marks which frankly she couldn’t have cared less about at that particular moment.

“Okay,” she agreed, breathlessly, as he pinned her against the wall of the hallway, both of them halting their kisses momentarily to grin excitedly. They made their way back downstairs, giggling and shushing each other, and Meryl could have sworn her heart melted just a little more when Maks reached his arms under Robbie, scooping him up as though he were a feather and carrying him back upstairs. He led her into what she presumed was the guest room and helped remove the little boy’s shoes, before placing him gently in the bed and letting Meryl kiss him goodnight.

Wordlessly, they left the room, leaving the door open a crack so the light from the hallway could shine through in case Robbie woke up and was frightened.

“So…” Maks began, once they were alone in the hallway.

“So I haven’t seen _your_ bedroom yet,” Meryl whispered coyly, eyeing him from under her long, black lashes.

“Well, we’ll need to do something about that,” grinned Maks, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her clear off the ground.   This time she didn’t need to restrain herself, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, kissing him soundly on the mouth as he carried her further along the hallway, gently kicking the door to his room open, before closing it and pushing her back against it as their mouths roamed each other’s.

“I can’t believe how fast I’ve fallen for you,” he breathed, as his mouth returned to its position on her neck, making her head fall back against the door. She clutched at his shoulders and ran her hands down the muscles of his arms, enjoying the feeling of the powerful contours beneath her fingertips.

Suddenly it seemed like she couldn’t feel enough and she tugged at the hem of his shirt, pulling it from his pants and trying to reach between them to unbutton it. He laughed; a deep sexy rumble from his throat, as her fingers fumbled frustratedly with the buttons, before turning them around and walking to the bed, placing her gently down in the centre and then crawling up until he was hovering over her, kicking his shoes off and giving her more access to finally undo the buttons of his shirt. Finally he relented and gave her what she wanted, letting her push the shirt off his shoulders and letting her sit up beneath him so that she could peel his undershirt off, tossing it across the room, her eyes roaming across the bare expanse of his chest with wonder.

“You’re perfect,” she sighed, dipping her head to kiss first his throat, then down his neck to lay hot, wet, open-mouthed kisses across the taut muscles of his chest. He humoured her for a few moments then took control again, pushing her back against the bed and reaching down her body to pull the hem of her dress up, his fingers brushing the sensitive skin of her sides until she was almost squirming with need beneath him. Finally he pulled the dress clear of her head and pushed himself up on his forearms so he could look at her.

“God, you’re so beautiful I don’t even know enough English words to do you justice…” he gasped in awe, as his eyes travelled a path down her neck to the smooth alabaster skin of her chest; her small breasts still clad in a pale blue, lace-edged bra.

“Can I?” he asked reverently, waiting for her to nod before beginning to reach around her back for the clasp. He was just about to remove it when a loud wail interrupted them. Meryl jumped and Maks bit back a curse word which had almost escaped his lips.

“It’s the baby monitor,” he sighed, reluctantly pulling his hand back and looking up at the ceiling, trying to get his breathing under control.

“Dasha,” Meryl replied, her breathing still erratic.

“Give me two minutes,” he grinned, sitting up and heading out to tend to his daughter. She lay back, taking in the surroundings she’d barely had a second to acknowledge , trying to catch her breath. She was interrupted by a flurry of footsteps and a little voice,

“Mommy!” a sleepy Robbie appeared at the door, rubbing his eyes, tears slipping down his cheeks.

“Baby!” she cried, lifting the sheet to cover her chest, before reaching out for Maks’ discarded shirt, slipping it on and sliding out of the bed.

“I woke up and I was scared,” her son flew into her arms and she picked him up, sitting him on her lap, kissing his head and shushing him.

“I’m sorry Baby,” she cooed, “Maks asked us if we wanted to sleep over and I didn’t want to wake you.”

“Are we at Maks’ house?” he seemed happy enough about that.

“Is that okay, Buddy?” Maks appeared at the door, with a sniffling Dasha in his arms.

Robbie nodded, snuggling into Meryl’s chest. “Was Dasha scared too?”

“A little bit,” Maks replied, closing the door and moving to sit on the other side of the bed. “How about,” he gave Meryl a consolatory gaze, “we all stay here tonight and then nobody is upset or worried? Just since it’s the first time you’ve stayed here.”

Robbie seemed to perk up at this idea. “Okay,” he agreed, crawling into bed, “I’ll make sure Dasha isn’t frightened anymore.” And he reached across to give the little girl a kiss on the forehead.

Meryl smiled gratefully at Maks and slipped back under the covers again, Maks reaching to switch off the bedside light, before slipping in beside them.

“Night Mommy, night Maks, night Dasha…” Robbie yawned, and there was silence for a few moments before the two adults heard the rhythmical sound of two little bodies breathing steadily.

“I’m sorry,” whispered Maks, reaching out to brush a hand down Meryl’s cheek.

“Don’t be,” she reassured him, snuggling closer towards him, the two children still between them.

“This isn’t exactly what I had planned for our first time together,” he admitted, “Least sexy situation ever!”

She muffled her giggles, and reached up to kiss him gently. “Maks, this is perfect. We’ll have plenty time. But this…” she motioned to the four of them, cuddled up like a little family, “This is special Maks.”

He nodded and she could see his eyes glistening through the darkness.

“You’re right about that, Babe; this is definitely special.”


	8. Chapter 7 - All Is Right In the World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! First off, I have to say a huge thank you to the lovely people who left a response either here or on Tumblr to my last chapter - it truly means a lot to me, so thank you!
> 
> I think realistically, moving on from here I’ll probably only be able to update on weekends. I tend to write much better at crazy hours in the morning and I’m working during the week so Saturday night seems to be the best time for me! (it’s also my excuse for any mistakes – it’s currently 3.57am and after being distracted by the return of the X Factor for most of the evening, I’ve now had to resort to watching infomercials for hair removal products – my life is so glamourous!)
> 
> Warning now, this chapter has a pretty detailed smut scene at the end of it. I’m mortified to write it and it probably sounds horribly awkward but I thought skipping it was a bit of a cop out so I decided to have a go. Please excuse any horribleness! 
> 
> Thanks once again for all the comments, asks and likes – you guys are all the best!

**Chapter 7 - All Is Right in the World**

She felt warmth all around her.

Warmth as she watched the long, dark eyelashes of her son fluttering against the soft skin of his cheeks as he dreamt.

Warmth as she felt little puffs of breath against her neck from the baby girl curled up beside her.

Warmth as the arms of the man she had fallen for tightened around her mid-section, sleepily caressing the skin of her stomach beneath the shirt she’d borrowed from him.

Warmth as she allowed herself to imagine that this could be her future; and when she thought of it like that, she wondered if she might explode from feeling the kind of joy that she never knew was even possible.

“Are you awake, Meryl?” Maks whispered into her ear, wanting to let the children sleep so they could have just a few moments together.

She didn’t answer, instead gently extricating herself from Dasha’s grasp, and turning in his arms to face him, pressing a soft kiss to his lips by way of morning greeting.

“Hey.”

“Hey yourself,” he grinned, and they both giggled.  It was kind of wonderfully uncomfortable; waking up with him for the first time.  Not really knowing what to say but just enjoying the fact they could both be love-sick idiots who kissed and giggled and said things like _“hey yourself,”_ without the slightest hint of irony. 

“I was going to say I was sorry about the interruption last night,” Maks began, “But maybe waking up with you and the kids – all of us together – maybe it’s made the idea of waiting okay?”

She nodded, “I just never imagined I’d find this; it feels like it’s just been me on my own with Robbie for so long.  I can’t believe this is happening; I keep waiting to wake up.”

He didn’t seem to know what to say to that, but she thought she saw the faintest hint of a blush at his cheeks.  Instead he leaned forward and grazed his lips against hers once more; they were a little rough but the sensation was completely addictive and she responded hungrily as he kissed her with thorough care and attention, as though he was determined to taste every last millimetre of her lips before he moved any further.  She could feel him grin against her mouth as her impatience grew, ensnaring his bottom lip between her teeth before sliding her tongue against his lips, begging entrance.  He finally relented, before reclaiming control, gathering her into his arms and crushing her against his chest as his tongue plundered her mouth.  Then it was lips, teeth, tongues; deliciously messy and uncontrolled until they broke apart, gasping and suppressing laughter as they clung to each other; eyes shining, breathing laboured.  He pressed his forehead to hers and whispered.

“I’m so in love with you.”

“I’m in love with you too,” she smiled back at him, looking straight into his eyes, so close it should have been faintly unnerving but she felt nothing but elation.

“This should feel crazy, but it doesn’t,” he admitted, and she understood immediately what he meant; this – them.  It was all so new and all so quick, but instinctively it felt like the perfect fit.

She was about to reply as much when babbling interrupted the tender moment and she felt a little hand reaching out to grab her hair from behind.  Daria was making her presence felt.

“So you’re awake, little one?” she laughed, turning to pull the baby into her arms before rolling back over to Maks, Dasha lying happily between them; looking up at the two faces and grinning toothily.

They lay contentedly; exchanging baby talk with Dasha and enjoying the laziness of the morning and just being with each other.  Robbie eventually stirred, rubbing his eyes and cuddling up to his mom, disorientated and happy to let her baby him in his sleepy state.

“So how does everyone feel about breakfast?” Maks suggested, and instantly he was met with a much more alert Robbie, and several enthusiastic “Yeahs!”  He gave Meryl a quick peck on the lips before slipping out of bed to the en-suite bathroom for a quick shower before he began breakfast. 

Meryl was just about to consider taking Dasha through to her room to find some clothes for the day ahead when the buzz of her phone interrupted her from the nightstand.  Looking at the caller display and realising it was her mother, she considered ignoring it for a moment or two before Robbie made the decision for her, grabbing the phone excitedly.

“Hey grandma!”

Panic immediately set in and she motioned to Robbie to hand her the phone, not wanting him to mention where they were before she’d had a chance to break the news to her mother herself.  Eventually he handed over the phone, pouting that his conversation had been interrupted.

“Hey Mom.”

“Meryl, honey!  I haven’t woken you up, have I?  I just wanted to check you were okay, it’s been a few days since we’ve heard from you.”

“No, no, we’ve been awake for a little while,” she reassured Cheryl, “Sorry, I’ve been so busy over the last week with work and everything.”

“Oh that’s fine honey, it’s great that your work is going so…”

“Shower’s free!” Maks announced loudly, exiting the bathroom with a towel around his waist. 

“Dadda!”  Dasha squealed, happy to see her father as he bent down to scoop her up. 

It was only then that he noticed the phone in Meryl’s hand.

“ _Your mom?”_ he mouthed, sheepishly.

She nodded, instinctively pulling the phone away from her ear before Cheryl Davis could unleash a torrent of disapproval down the line.

“I’ll take the kids down for breakfast,” Maks offered apologetically, slipping on a pair of boxers under the towel, before motioning to Robbie to follow him and leaving Meryl alone in the room.

“Meryl…”

She took a deep breath, knowing that any kind of denial was pretty much futile now.  Cheryl Davis had always had a wicked sense of hearing whenever her kids were up to no good, and Meryl was pretty sure it wouldn’t have deserted her now.

“Okay, so I might be seeing someone,” she tried not to sound defensive but it came out that way anyway.

The sound of pursed lips was audible even from Michigan.  “Meryl, I don’t know why you felt you had to hide this from me.  And was that a baby I heard?”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier, but it’s new and we’re just getting used to things ourselves and I guess I just didn’t want to jinx things…”

“So the baby?” Cheryl was nothing if not persistent.

She knew she could try to put off her mother until later but it probably wasn’t worth the stress.  “Maks has a daughter, her name…”

“Maks?”

“Okay, I’ll start at the beginning.  Yes, I’m seeing someone; his name is Maks.  He owns a dance studio and I asked him to come into the rink on a consultation basis to work with my skaters.  We started seeing each other just recently and he’s amazing.  His daughter is fourteen months old and her name is Daria; he has sole custody of her and we kind of bonded over looking after the kids and he just gets me, Mom!” 

She took a deep breath and waited for judgement.

“So he’s fine with you having Robbie?”

“Of course!  Robbie’s with him just now, they get along great!”

“You’ve introduced him to Robbie already?!” Cheryl didn’t even attempt to hide her disapproval, “Meryl, you need to think about what’s appropriate!  How long have you been seeing this man?  Robbie needs stability in his life!”

Hot tears pricked at the back of Meryl’s eyes and she could feel the once familiar lump forming at the back of her throat as she tried to maintain her composure.  It felt like being back in Michigan all over again; like she was the little girl who’d got herself into trouble _again_ and was facing a scolding from her mother.  It wasn’t that Cheryl tried to make her feel bad on purpose, but Meryl had never gotten over the feeling that she had completely let down her parents when she’d got pregnant.  Even though they loved Robbie, she knew that the path she’d followed would never have been the one they’d always envisioned for her.

“Mom, I can’t do this right now,” she finally composed herself enough to reply.  “I need to go and help Maks with the kids and until you phoned this morning I was actually feeling really happy.  I just don’t need this just now.  I’ll call you later.”

And with that, she hit the call-end button on her phone and bit her lip, looking to the ceiling and wafting her hand in front of her eyes to cool them and hold the tears at bay.  This was a happy morning, up until five minutes earlier she had been feeling on top of the world, and she was damn well not going to cry and feel sorry for herself.

She took a quick shower, tying her hair out of the way, before finding her blue dress from the night before and dressing.  By the time she reached the kitchen she could smell Maks’ cooking and it was just the antidote she needed.

“Maks made pancakes, Mommy!” Robbie exclaimed, almost bouncing in his seat at the kitchen table.  Beside him sat Dasha in her high chair, banging a spoon off the little tray in front of her with gusto, as Maks moved easily about the kitchen, sliding pancakes from the frying pan onto warmed plates. 

“Whoa!  Aren’t we lucky?!” she smiled, heading over to her boy and kissing him on the head before moving into the kitchen to wrap an arm around Maks’ waist and award his cooking with a quick kiss.

“Mommy, is Maks your boyfriend now?” Robbie enquired, immediately noticing the display of affection. 

Maks grabbed the plates and led Meryl back to the table where they all sat down as he doled out breakfast for them all.

“Is that okay, Buddy?” Maks asked him seriously, “I would like your mommy to be my girlfriend, but it’s important to me that you’re okay with it.”

Robbie took the bottle of syrup and squeezed it onto his pancakes before considering the offer.  “I think it’s nice,” he declared finally.  “Mommy is happy when you’re around and I like you and Dasha and maybe you could get married and then I’d have a daddy and Dasha would have a mommy and we’d be like a family!” his little eyes lit up and he looked back and forth between the two adults hopefully. 

Meryl felt Maks reach for her hand under the table, giving it a comforting squeeze.

“Baby, it’s great that you like Maks and I’m really happy that you’re okay with us being boyfriend and girlfriend,” she glanced at Maks and smiled at the cute term, “But getting married…” she fumbled for words, not really knowing how to explain things.

Maks jumped in to save her, “Buddy, right now I’m just so happy that your mommy wants to be my girlfriend and that it gives us more time to hang out and get to know each other.  Maybe one day, a long time away, your mommy and I might get married, but that might not happen for sure, okay?  Things like that take a long time to work out.”

“How long?” Robbie seemed displeased with the answer.

“You know how long Christmas takes to come?” Maks offered.

“Uh huh.”

“That kind of long.”

Robbie blew out a long breath, “Okay then,” he nodded, “I’m good with Mommy being your girlfriend.  But when you get married, can we get a dog?”

Maks laughed and Meryl let her head rest on his shoulder as they both took in the scheming expression on her son’s face.

*~*~*~*~

Meryl insisted on clearing the table since Maks had cooked, and she easily found her way around his kitchen, loading the dishwasher as he lifted Dasha from her chair and put a DVD on in the living room for the kids to watch.

“You okay?” he asked softly, encircling her waist from behind and resting his chin atop her shoulder.

“Yeah,” she smiled, turning her head to kiss him softly, letting him turn her in his arms and squealing as his hands gripped her hips to lift her onto the counter top until they were face to face.

“What did your mom say earlier?”

She exhaled deeply, avoiding eye contact for a moment.  “She gave me the third degree and then basically told me I was irresponsible for introducing you to Robbie so quickly.”

He placed a finger under her chin to lift her eyes to look at him again.  “And now you’re feeling guilty and second guessing yourself, wondering if you’re doing the right thing?”

_How did he do that?  How did he know exactly what she was thinking?_

She nodded, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be feeling this way.  Up until she called I was feeling on top of the world, and now…”

“Meryl,” he lifted her easily into his arms, carrying her over to the kitchen table, sitting down and setting her onto his lap. “I can only speak for me here, but this,” he motioned between them, “Us… This is the most amazing thing which has happened to me since Dasha was born, and I don’t think I’m imagining that we’re feeling pretty much the same right now.”

“You’re not imagining it,” she smiled softly.

“So, just for one second I want you to stop worrying and be honest with yourself.  How do you feel about what’s going on between us?  Not, how do you feel when you think about what other people might think of you?”

“Maks, when I think about us, I feel over the moon!  I feel like I’m so lucky that this can’t possibly be my life because things like this don’t happen to me!  I feel giddy and in love and so ridiculously happy I can barely even form a coherent sentence and dammit I’m supposed to be articulate!”

“So why are you allowing whatever your mom said to rattle you?”

“Because she has that effect on me!” she ran a hand through her hair in frustration, “It’s like when she’s disappointed in me, every little insecurity I have about myself comes back.  I mean, maybe she’s right; maybe I am being irresponsible, introducing you to Robbie so soon!  We don’t know what’s going to happen between us!  Hell, we haven’t even been on a date yet!”

“Well, maybe it’s time that I remedied that,” Maks smiled, taking her hand and squeezing it reassuringly.  “And Meryl, you’re not being irresponsible.  It’s all very well people telling us that we shouldn’t be introducing the kids to each other so soon, and in an ideal world we’d both have childcare all the time and we’d never have to worry about it.  But we both know we live in the real world, and if we had to see each other only when we’ve got time away from the kids then maybe we might be able to catch up once a month at best!” 

She laughed, and he bent to give her a soft kiss, his thumb softly stroking the skin of her cheek. 

“Babe, this is our relationship; no-one else’s.  You and Robbie are a package deal just the same as Dasha and I are.  We set the pace; we decide what happens and what’s appropriate for our kids to know.  I love you and part of loving you is seeing how amazing a mother you are to Robbie.  I’m in awe of how you’ve moved out here yourself, and how devoted you are to making sure you’re doing the best you can for his future.”

“How do you always manage to say the right things?” she sighed, leaning her head into the crook of his shoulder and relaxing at the comfort of his strong arms.  “Before I met you, I just felt like it was me and Robbie against the world.  I feel so protected when I’m with you, and that scares me a little.”

“Why?”

“Because what if this all goes wrong?  What if I get used to relying on you and then suddenly I have to cope on my own again?  And Robbie is already so attached to you, what if I let him get hurt?”

He wrapped his arms around her more tightly and laid a kiss on her head, “Meryl, we can make a promise now, that whatever happens between us in the future, we never put our kids in the middle.  Robbie is such a great kid, I would never want to hurt him, and the way you are with Dasha… God Meryl, when Robbie said earlier about us being a family…”

“I know…” she agreed.

“I will never knowingly hurt you, Meryl.  I know it’s only been a short time but we have to trust our own feelings and go with them.”

“Agreed,” she smiled, lifting her head to look into his eyes, seeing only love and sincerity reflected back.

“So, are we done worrying for now?” he teased gently.

“For now,” she laughed, “I might need you to talk me down after I phone my mother back later though.”

“I’ll be there,” he agreed, “Besides, we have a date to organise!”

*~*~*~*~*~*~

“So Robbie are you sure you’ll be okay with Mrs Chmerkovskiy?  You know I have my cell phone with me just in case…”

“Mommy!  I’ll be fine!” Robbie protested for at least the tenth time that evening, rolling his eyes dramatically towards Maks in the rear-view mirror of the car, earning himself a wink.  “Besides, Dasha will be there and Mrs Sofia too and it’ll be like a sleepover!”

It had been a week since Meryl had spent the night at Maks’ and they had finally organised to go out for the evening, just the two of them.  Meryl had considered asking Mrs Reid in the apartment next door to babysit Robbie, but Maks had insisted that his mother could look after both the children and they could sleep over, so that they wouldn’t need to rush back early. 

“Relax Babe, the kids will have a great time,” Maks reassured her as he parked the car in his parents’ drive and they began to collect the children’s belongings.  Larisa appeared at the door to greet them and Dasha squealed with delight at seeing her grandmother.

“Hi Mrs Chermakorskee!” Robbie waved, oblivious to the adults’ smiles at his earnest attempt at pronouncing the name. 

“Hi Robbie,” she greeted him, ruffling his hair before reaching out to take Dasha from Maks’ arms.  “Are you looking forward to staying over?”

The little boy nodded enthusiastically, “Mommy is worried but I’m fine!  I’m nearly five now!”

“Such a big boy!” Larisa agreed, smiling at Meryl and letting the children inside. “Give your mommy a kiss before she goes,” she instructed, giving Meryl a knowing look.  She knew that mother needed it more than child.

“Be good for Mrs Chmerkovskiy, and go to bed when you’re told,” Meryl reminded him. 

“I’ll be good!” he promised, kissing her and wrapping his little arms around her shoulders as she bent down to him.  Larisa plopped Dasha down on the floor next to him and the he took the little girl’s hand and both of them headed off into the house, waving goodbye to their parents.

“Don’t you worry about him, he’ll be fine with us, we’ll take very good care of him, I promise,” Larisa smiled, patting Meryl’s arm gently.

“Thank you so much for having him, I really appreciate it,” Meryl replied, relaxing at the woman’s kindness.

“It’s no trouble at all,” Larisa chastised her, “Now is my son taking you somewhere nice?”

“We’re going for dinner,” Maks offered, “A nice little Italian place.”

Larisa nodded approvingly, “Have a wonderful time, both of you.”  She kissed Meryl on the cheek and then did the same to Maks.  “And I don’t want to see either of you back here until at least lunch time tomorrow, do you understand?”  she raised an eyebrow and Meryl felt her cheeks colour at the implication of what she was saying.

“Mom!” groaned Maks, looking mortified.

“Ahh, you think I don’t know the way things work!  You’re both grown adults with young children, it’s not like you get much time to be alone together.  Have fun, enjoy each other!” she raised her eyebrows with a grin.

“And we’re leaving now…” Maks grabbed Meryl’s arm and started leading her down the driveway towards the car.

“We’re never going to be that embarrassing to Dasha and Robbie, are we?” he questioned, leaning his head on the steering wheel once they were safely inside, away from his mother’s teasing.

“Oh I hope so!” Meryl giggled, and Maks laughed as he reversed out of the drive, waving to a grinning Larisa.

*~*~*~*~*~*~

“That was the best meal I’ve had in ages, thank you,” sighed Meryl happily, as they left the restaurant hand in hand and slowly made their way through the dark streets back towards her apartment. 

“You’re very welcome, thank you for the wonderful company,” he smiled, letting her swing their arms contentedly, before lifting his to twirl her underneath.  She laughed and humoured him, twirling back into his arms and letting him pick her up, kicking her heels up behind her as he spun her off the ground. 

They’d reached the park, having left the car at her apartment earlier so they could both have a glass of wine with their meal.  It was a balmy evening and the indigo sky was cloudless, allowing a few stars to twinkle through its darkness.  They’d had dinner at a little Italian restaurant nearby; nothing flashy, just cosy and intimate with great food and the chance to talk uninterrupted by the demands of two little ones.  The park was deserted except for the occasional dog walker or jogger taking advantage of the warm evening.  They meandered lazily along the path, eventually stopping when Meryl dragged Maks towards the swings at the playpark.

“Come on, it’ll be fun!” she teased, pushing him to sit down on one before sliding onto his lap. 

“Okay, maybe I can get on board with this,” he smiled, using his feet to gently propel them back and forth.

“I’ve had a great time tonight,” she smile, leaning her head against his shoulder and closing her eyes at the calming rocking motion of the swing. 

“Me too Babe,” he bent his head to kiss her cheek gently, and she opened her eyes, lifting her head to press her lips against his, delighting in the lack of rush, enjoying being able to take her own sweet time. 

“It’s been so long since I’ve been on a date; I was a bit nervous,” she admitted when they broke apart.

“Nervous, really?” he smiled, kissing her briefly once more, “How long has it been?”

She looked down at her hands, “Before Robbie was born…” she admitted with a hint of embarrassment.

“Hey,” he tilted her chin back up so she was looking at him, “You have nothing to be embarrassed about.  You’ve just been busy with raising your son.”

“I know, but…”

“But nothing, I want us to be able to be honest with each other.  I haven’t been with anyone since Svetlana either; I wasn’t ready for a long time.   Not until I met you.”

“When you say _‘been with’_ do you mean…”

“I haven’t slept with anyone else, I haven’t been on a date with anyone else.  You’re the first since…”

“Did she hurt you?”

He nodded and shrugged, “She did, but I’m over it now.  It was better in the long run to be out of a relationship like that.  We fought way too much; we didn’t really suit each other or want the same things.  But I did get one good thing from the relationship, and that was Daria.”

“Same here,” she replied softly, “As much as I regret what happened with Dean, I can’t regret it completely because at least I have Robbie.”

“Were you in love with him?”

“I thought I was at the time,” she admitted, “But I was so young, I didn’t really know what love was.  I was quiet and shy and I’d never had a boyfriend and suddenly here was someone showing me attention.”

“You’d never had a boyfriend before you met Dean?” the implications of what he was asking were obvious.  She shook her head.  “And you’ve not been with anyone since…” it was more a statement than a question but she continued shaking her head.

“I don’t want to be a disappointment to you,” she sighed, “I mean, Dean and I weren’t together long and we…”

“Shhh…” he soothed her, adding a soft kiss to hush her.  “Nothing you could ever do could ever be a disappointment to me.  I love you.”

“I love you too,” she reciprocated, standing up and pulling him out of the swing to stand with her.  “Now, I think I’d like you to take me home…”

“Your wish is my command m’lady!” he gave a comical bow and then swept her off her feet into his arms, carrying her bridal style and twirling until she was squealing with laughter. 

*~*~*~*~

They reached her apartment ten minutes later and while she fumbled in her bag for her keys Maks couldn’t help but sweep her hair over to one shoulder so he could reach down to kiss the side of her neck. 

“Ohhh…” she gasped, letting her head fall back against him as his arms slipped around her waist from behind.  He continued his assault on her neck, moving slowly downwards until he reached her collarbone, feeling her knees buckle and tightening his grip on her waist to keep her standing.

“Keys…” he urged, letting her drop them into his hand, realising his attentions were leaving her in no fit state to deal with the door.  Though somewhat distracted himself, he wrestled it open and they fell through it, Maks kicking the door shut behind them, before turning her to press her against it, focusing his lips and mouth on travelling further down the exposed skin of her neck, pausing briefly to suck at the hollow at the base of her throat, earning him a breathy “Maks…” in reward.

“Where’s your bedroom?” he asked, kissing back up to her lips, and she smiled, shyly gazing up at him from beneath her impossibly long, dark lashes.  Instantly he could feel his body responding even more, still disbelieving that this incredibly beautiful woman could be his. Wordlessly, she took his hand and led him along the hallway, stopping to open the door to her room and pulling him gently inside.

They stood opposite each other in the darkness, only the dim glow of the streetlamp through the drapes providing any light by which to see each other.  He made the first move, stepping around her, ghosting a hand down her arm from behind, sending shivers through her body.  She wasn’t sure what he was doing until she could feel his fingertips softly pushing her hair over her shoulder, replacing it with his lips against the back of her neck, moving downwards until he reached the zipper of her dress.  He lowered it excruciatingly slowly, placing tender kisses against each newly revealed patch of alabaster skin, and she sighed with pleasure at the feel of his lips.  When he had finally reached the bottom, he kissed his way back up with equal attention, then slipped the straps of her dress from her shoulders, letting it drop completely, pooling gently at her feet, leaving her standing in only the matching cream lace bra and panties she had chosen so carefully when dressing that evening. 

She stepped out of her heels and bit her lip shyly, as he stalked back around her to face her once more. 

“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” he breathed, his eyes slowly roaming the length of her body with a genuine reverence which left her almost breathless.  She moved to unbutton his shirt but her hands were shaking, so he helped her, making quick work of the buttons before she reached up on tiptoe to push the material from his shoulders.  The pale glow from the window illuminated his perfect body and she cast her mind back to the first time she’d seen him at the studio, remembering how she’d admired his body then, still feeling a certain amount of disbelief that he was hers and she was allowed to touch him like this.  She fumbled with the belt on his pants, her nerves beginning to show and they both laughed; he reached to still her hands, before undoing it himself, pushing down his pants and kicking off his shoes and socks, leaving only their underwear between them.

“I love you,” she whispered, reaching up to pull him down to her, getting lost in his kisses and moaning as his tongue swept into her mouth, his hands slipping down the bare skin of her back to cup her ass, lifting her easily from the ground until she wrapped her legs around him.  He made his way across the room to sit on the edge of the bed, Meryl in his lap, the evidence of his arousal now pressed firmly against her as their kisses progressed further in intensity and fervour.  She felt her limbs turn to jelly as he left her lips to press hot, open-mouthed kisses down her neck onto her chest, and her head fell back, pushing her hips into him at a slightly different angle, eliciting a groan from deep within his throat which reverberated against her.  His hands reached around her back and made smooth work of unclasping her bra, before pushing the straps down her shoulders and casting it onto the floor, leaning back so that he could let his eyes take in her breasts. 

“You’re perfect,” he whispered, giving her lips an impossibly gentle kiss before dipping his head to pay attention to the newly discovered skin.  He kissed a path down the valley between her breasts, then his tongue slipped against the sensitive skin, moving to circle around one nipple, though not touching it, whilst his hand slid a gentle path up her torso, palming the underside of her other breast, leaving her gasping for his mouth to be where she needed it. 

“Please Maks…” she almost begged, and he relented, running a slightly rough tongue across  one nipple, circling the tip and then blowing on the wet skin, leaving her squirming in his lap. His hand meanwhile offered attention to the other, palming her breast as he sucked gently on the first.  She could feel the heat which had been pooling deep in her core beginning to intensify and she needed him to touch her there more than anything.

He seemed to sense her urgency, standing up with her still wrapped around him, before kneeling on the bed and moving her back to lay her head against the pillows, settling between her legs and crawling his way down her body; taking his sweet time with his kisses to every inch of her skin until he reached the lace edge of her panties, placing his hand flat over her belly and moving down to press the heel of his palm firmly against her through the now soaking material. 

“Oh God…” she panted, pressing her hips into his touch and letting her head fall back against the pillows.  He took that as a signal to continue, hooking his fingers through the flimsy material and edging it down, kissing a path of fire down her legs until she was completely naked before him, then kissing his way back up, pushing her legs apart again and paying careful attention to the soft skin of her inner thighs. 

She nearly came right then and there when she felt his mouth on her, his tongue flicking out to first trace the seam of her folds, then attaching itself to the little bundle of nerves above, making her writhe beneath his touch, moaning his name as she began to lose control.  It had been so long and every nerve in her body felt like it was on fire at his touch.  When he finally used his hand to join his tongue, sliding at first one, then two fingers into her, curling them expertly to find the spot he was looking for, she fell apart, waves of ecstasy running through her body.  She gripped his shoulders and he made his way back up her body to kiss her as she came down from her high; her body shaking in his arms, a thin glow of sweat covering her pale skin.  

“I love you,” she panted, letting him draw her into his arms while she recovered enough to think coherently. 

“Love you too,” he whispered, stroking her hip, and she was suddenly hit by the thought that she was very naked and he wasn’t. 

“You’re still wearing clothes,” she motioned with her eyes towards his boxers, smiling coyly at him, before pushing him back against the bed and laying kisses against the beautiful, smooth skin of his sculpted chest.  Her hands roamed hungrily, she could scarcely believe she was allowed to touch a man as perfect as this wherever she wanted.  Moving down his body, she reached the waistband of his boxers, licking a line from his navel down the little trail of hair before teasingly dipping a finger just below the waistband but no further, inciting a deep moan from Maks.

Leaning back on her heels she stroked him through the thin material, and he hissed gently, she could already feel he was rock hard beneath her touch, and as much as she wanted to tease him, she couldn’t wait to see if he looked as good as he felt.  She hooked two fingers into his boxers, dragging them carefully over his erection and down his muscled legs, casting them onto the floor before crawling back up his body.  She had only been with Dean before so she couldn’t make too many comparisons, but to her eyes he seemed huge, and she felt herself wonder how on earth they’d fit together.  Still it was too much of a temptation to resist and she reached out a hand to slowly stroke his length, and he inhaled sharply, his eyes fluttering shut at her touch.  Emboldened, she took his shaft more firmly in her grip and began to move up and down, delighted at the obvious effect she was having on him.

“Baby…” he reached a hand out to stop her, “It’s been a while… I want to…”

“What do you want?” she asked.

“I want to be inside you,” he replied, reaching to pull her flush against him, before flipping them over once more so she was beneath him.  He reached down to kiss her soundly, his tongue plundering the depths of her mouth as he snaked a hand between them to reach down to her folds, checking she was still ready for him.  Before she could even ask the awkward question, he’d reached down into the pocket of his pants for a condom and had slipped it on. 

“Are you okay?” he asked, almost reverentially, leaning up on his forearms to look down at her, tenderly sweeping a strand of her behind her ear as she nodded to him.  He reached to position himself at her entrance then gently pushed inside her.  She gasped at first; it had been a long time; she was tight and he was bigger than she’d been used to.  But he was gentle, pushing fully into her with a low groan, and then waiting for her to adjust before he began to move. 

“Love you,” he whispered as their hips began to move in synch.  She reached up to pull him to her, their mouths devouring each other between gasps and moans.  She felt him move deeper than she’d ever possibly imagined, stretching her deliciously as he increased the pace.  She could tell he was close and she could feel the fire beginning to build within her as well.  He reached a hand between them to rub against her and she was gone, keening against him and crying out as she came apart.  He followed her a few moments later, gasping and calling her name before falling exhausted onto the bed, pulling her on top of him, still inside her. 

They lay breathless and sated, slowly recovering from the mind-blowing experience.  She could feel him softening within her and he got up briefly to get rid of the condom, before returning; pulling her into his arms and drawing the sheet up over them both. 

“That was incredible,” he smiled, looking down at her and kissing her languorously.  She smiled against his lips and enjoyed the feeling of closeness as he wrapped his arms around her, skin to skin, heart to heart; just the two of their breathing filling the room.

“Incredible…” she repeated, her ability to form a coherent sentence completely obliterated. 

It didn’t matter though, they didn’t need words.  They just lay in each other’s arms, delighting in the feeling of lying naked together; sleepy and satisfied, feeling that finally, all was right in the world. 


	9. Chapter 8 - Fairytales

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! First off, huge apologies that I didn’t get this up last night! You can blame Bekind2everyone who I spent most of the evening chatting with haha! On the good side though, she did very kindly let me bounce some ideas off her so I’ve fleshed out the plot a little more. I think there are going to be another 3 chapters after this one. 
> 
> Again I’d like to say a huge thank you to all the people who left kudos or comments. Next weekend is a holiday weekend for me so I’m aiming to try to get two chapters done – we’ll see how I get on!

 

“Are you sure you want to come to pick them up?” Meryl asked for at least the fifth time in an hour, as they sat in Maks’ SUV making their way towards the airport.

“Meryl, every time you say that, my heart rate gets even higher. Are you sure your parents don’t already hate me?”

She laughed and reached across to rub his leg comfortingly. “Of course they don’t hate you. Dramatic much?”

“Well can you blame me? They must be pretty protective of you and your mom’s first impression of me was a bit of a shock to her!” He sighed deeply and lowered his voice, aware of the two children in the backseat. “I just want them to like me, Mer.”

She gave his leg another comforting rub, her voice soft, “And they will Maks. You just need to relax. Besides, I think it’s already a good impression that you’re coming to pick them up with me. If you hadn’t offered they’d have needed to have taken a taxi; I’m sure they’ll appreciate it.”

Maks smiled at her reassurance and pulled into the parking garage. After unbuckling the kids and making their way inside the terminal, they found the arrivals area and waited for Meryl’s parents. Maks could feel his hand getting clammier in Meryl’s as his nerves grew. He’d never been very good with parents; Svetlana’s mother had hated him on sight. But then again, he’d been eighteen when he’d first met her, and an entirely different man from the one he’d become since the birth of his daughter.

“That’s them!” Meryl interrupted his thoughts, and he turned to see a smart, middle-aged couple pushing a cart through the arrivals door, the woman stopping to open her arms to Robbie who was barrelling top-speed into them.

He wanted to hang back and let them have their reunion in peace, but she kept her grip on his hand firm, and pulled him with her as she moved to greet her parents, letting go only to hug first her father then her mother, both of whom were eyeing him with interest.

“So, Mom, Dad; this is Maks,” she introduced him, keeping a reassuring arm around his waist and smiling up at him.

“It’s so nice to meet you dear,” Mrs Davis reached forward to shake his hand, “It’s very kind of you to give us a ride back to Meryl’s.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Mrs Davis,” he nodded before shaking her father’s hand, “Mr Davis.”

“Paul,” smiled her father. He noticed her mother didn’t correct the way he’d addressed her. Mrs Davis it would be.

“So who’s this?” Paul redirected his attention to Dasha, in Maks’ spare arm, who was currently somewhere between burrowing into his shoulder in mock shyness, and scouting out the new faces with a certain air of curiosity.

Meryl ran a quick hand over her hair and was rewarded with a smile from the baby. “This is my daughter, Daria,” Maks explained.

“But we all call her Dasha,” offered Robbie, knowingly. “She talks a little bit but she’s a bit shy, aren’t you Dasha?” He reached up and patted her leg comfortingly, and Maks put her down to walk beside him; Robbie immediately taking her hand.

“He seems very attached to her,” Mrs Davis noted, as the pair toddled away in front of the adults, Maks taking the cart from Paul and beginning to wheel it towards the exit.

“He’s great with her,” Maks agreed, not sure if her comment had been positive or not. “Meryl’s done a wonderful job with him, he’s a great kid.”

*~*~*~*~

The ride home was a little uncomfortable, with everyone making polite conversation as the two kids babbled at the back of the SUV; Mrs Davis having insisted that Meryl ride in the front with Maks. It had been something of a surprise to him that he felt more comfortable around her father; he’d assumed that it’d be more difficult to get him onside, but it was her mother who he found more perturbing; she seemed to be assessing him scrupulously and didn’t seem the type to give her feelings away readily.

It was early evening and he and Meryl had spent time earlier in the day preparing dinner so that they could just put it in the oven and not worry about the preparation. Insisting that her parents sit down and rest in the living room, Meryl took Maks into the kitchen and leaned against the counter with a sigh.

“Are you okay?” she asked, biting her lower lip between her teeth nervously.

“Sure,” he smiled, “I mean, your dad seems great, and…”

She laughed softly, reaching an arm out to snag his waist and pulling him closer to her, looping her arms lazily around his neck as he slipped his around her and hoisted her onto the counter in front of him.

“My mom is a different story, right?”

“She’s hard to read,” he admitted.

“Give her some time; she’s just very protective of me. My dad and I are more alike; as long as I’m happy he’s good. My mom on the other hand… well, she just wants to see me get my life on track.”

“I think you’ve done a pretty good job of that yourself,” he smiled, reaching forward to place a kiss on her forehead, “She should be so proud of you.”

“Thanks,” she smiled, “And I’m sorry they chose this weekend to come. I did try to put them off for a bit, but I think once they found out about you my mom’s curiosity couldn’t be contained.”

He reached a hand up to stroke the smooth skin of her cheek, “Meryl, they’re your parents, you don’t have to apologise for them coming to visit. I want to get to know them!”

“I know,” she protested, “But the timing’s not great; I mean I was away last weekend with the juniors at Lake Placid, and then during the week we were both busy with work. I guess I’m saying, I just wish we’d had this weekend to you know…”

He gave her a mockingly puzzled expression, “No, I have no idea what you’re implying; you’ll have to be more direct!”

“You know!” she gave his chest a little shove at his teasing, “I mean we haven’t… you know, since our date night.”

“You know?” he mimicked her tone, “Is that what all the cool kids are calling it these days?”

She giggled and he leaned in closer, wrapping his arms more tightly around her slim waist and dipping his head to kiss her properly. Meryl’s hands traced haphazard patterns across his back before winding their way into his hair as she sighed contentedly into his kiss. It was all still new to them and he was beginning to wonder if he’d ever get used to the sensation of her lips against his. She was so small and delicate in his arms yet so passionate and creative with her kisses. He flicked his tongue out to tease against her lips, his right hand playing with the waistband of her jeans, his fingertips just beginning to brush over the edge of the material onto the soft skin of her side. She was only just beginning to open her mouth to allow his tongue entry when the door to the kitchen opened suddenly and they pulled apart. Meryl’s mom stood, leaning against the door, her lips pursed.

“You two need to be more careful,” she warned, “I could have been Robbie.”

Maks opened his mouth to apologise profusely, but Meryl put a hand on his shoulder and spoke to her mother. “Mom, we weren’t doing anything wrong, and Robbie has seen us kiss before.”

“He has?” Mrs Davis seemed shocked, moving fully into the kitchen and closing the door behind her with a purposeful click. “I mean no disrespect Maks, but Meryl you need to consider what’s appropriate.”

“Mom, I’m quite confident that I’m not mentally scarring him; he doesn’t watch anything other than Disney movies and Nickelodeon, he never hears me cuss, he says ‘Sir’ and ‘Ma’am’ and he thinks that the stork brings babies. Maks and I kissing isn’t inappropriate; we’re two adults in a relationship who treat each other with respect, what’s so wrong about that?”

Meryl hopped down from the counter and stood between her mother and Maks, pulling his arms around her waist from behind and patting his hands reassuringly.

“Meryl, I understand that it’s difficult for you both to have a relationship without involving the children. Maks I don’t know your situation fully, but I appreciate it must be similar to Meryl’s. I just want you both to consider how Robbie will react if this doesn’t end well. I came here expecting that you’d just started dating and yet this relationship already seems a lot more than that.”

Meryl shrugged, “That’s because it _is_ a lot more than that, Mom! I know you’re worried about me, and honestly, I do appreciate everything that you and Dad did to help me with Robbie. But I need to make my own decisions. I can’t go through life feeling scared to try new things and holding myself back out of fear. What happened with Dean was life! Sometimes bad things happen, but I don’t want to be scared of making a go of things with Maks because of what happened in the past.”

Mrs Davis looked slightly taken aback but not entirely convinced. “We’ll talk later,” she replied curtly. “Maks, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make a scene. You seem like a very nice man, but you can understand my concern. You’ve both been alone. You’re both raising small children without a partner. It all just seems a little too easy and I’m worried that you’re getting into things too quickly because it’s convenient for you both.”

Maks made to protest, but the look on Meryl’s face told him it was futile. “Mom, that’s enough for now. Maks and I have made dinner and I want us to be able to eat without me wanting to throw it at you. We’ll talk later.”

And with that, she grabbed Maks’ hand and led him back into the living room, sitting down on the floor with Dasha and immediately preoccupying herself with chatting excitedly to the baby. Maks edged his way next to Robbie on the couch, all the while feeling the eyes of Mrs Davis boring into the back of his head.

This was not going well.

*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dinner had mercifully come to a conclusion and Cheryl Davis had insisted through gritted teeth that she and Meryl would clear up, leaving Maks, Paul and the kids time to chat in the living room. Maks flipped on the tv for Robbie and Dasha, moving to sit opposite Paul and hoping he didn’t look as nervous as he felt.  

“I’m not going to give you the third degree, Maks,” Paul smiled, taking a sip of coffee and settling back into the couch.

“Sorry, I feel like we’ve not got off to the best start,” Maks apologised. “I just want you to know that I’ll take care of Meryl.”

“Maks,” Paul put down his cup on the coffee table and removed his glasses momentarily to rub at the bridge of his nose.   Maks suspected it had been something of a long day, having to travel with an irate Cheryl. “I don’t need us to have some big potential father-in-law type discussion. You seem like a good guy, Meryl is happy with you; and as long as she’s happy I’m fine with that.”

“Thanks,” Maks felt himself relax back into the couch, taking a sip of his own coffee. “I’m not sure your wife is quite as calm about the whole thing though.”

Paul laughed heartily and Maks was struck for the first time by how much Meryl resembled him; he’d thought at first that she was more like her mother.

“Maks, try not to be too disheartened by Cheryl. She seems harsh at first but she really just worries about Meryl. You have to realise, it’s been a big wrench for her to have Meryl and Robbie move out here; they lived with us back in Michigan and they were everything to her. Ever since Meryl fell pregnant with Robbie, Cheryl has worried about her. Robbie’s father was Meryl’s first boyfriend and he treated her appallingly. I know that not every relationship Meryl will have will be like that, but it was Cheryl who had to put Meryl back together after him, and I don’t think she ever wants to have to do that again.”

“I understand,” Maks nodded, “She thinks we’re getting too serious too fast.”

“She does,” he smiled, “But you need to not worry about what she says, and don’t let Meryl worry about it either. Just keep going the way the two of you have been and don’t let anyone else’s opinion affect you.”

“Thank you sir, that means a lot.”

Paul raised an eyebrow, “Seriously Maks, don’t worry about calling me sir. Well… except in front of Cheryl, it might win you an extra point or two!”

*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Introducing, Pirate Robbie and Princess Dasha!” Meryl bounced into the living room where Maks sat, gesturing dramatically towards the door as Robbie leapt in, followed by a bemused looking Dasha, with a pink tiara askew on her head.

“OOOO-ARRR!!!” cried Robbie, rushing up to Maks on the couch and pouncing into his lap, wielding a plastic sword and immediately knocking his pirate hat to the floor.

“Whoa! What a fierce pirate!” Maks exclaimed, scooping Robbie up to squeals of delight. “And Princess Dasha, looking so beautiful!”

Dasha stomped happily in the dress and waved the tiara about with gusto. She hadn’t quite grasped the concept of Halloween, but Meryl was pretty sure that if it involved candy she’d be easily sold.

“So Meryl, where’s your costume?” Maks teased, lifting Robbie onto his shoulders and smiling towards her.

“Oh, it’s a day for the kids; I don’t need to dress up!” Meryl protested, only to be met by a raised eyebrow from Maks.

“You don’t? But I brought my pirate costume to go along with Robbie!”

“Mommy! You have to dress up! Please!” begged Robbie, and Meryl eyed Maks with joking scorn. Secretly the idea of Pirate Maks wasn’t completely unappealing…

“Baby, I’d love to but I don’t have anything to wear!” she protested.

She’d obviously forgotten her son’s incredibly detailed and now, incredibly inconvenient, memory.

“Yes you do! You had that dress that I wanted you to wear the night we went to stay with Mrs Chermakorskee! You said it was a costume, not something you would wear to have dinner!”

Maks lifted Robbie down to the floor so they could talk face to face. “Tell me more about this costume Robbie…”

“Well it’s green and…” Robbie babbled on as Maks turned his attention back to Meryl who was shaking her head violently and giving him the kind of expression which Maks suspected might have meant he wasn’t going to get any action in the next ten years if he wasn’t careful. He considered not pushing it for about three seconds, then realised that if Meryl didn’t want to wear the dress so violently, then it was probably worth seeing her in.

“Robbie, I think you have to show me this dress.”

“Fine!” Meryl threw her hands up in defeat. “I’ll put on the dress, but there had better be no laughing!”

Five minutes later she poked her head around the living room door.

“Well, are you coming in or not?” Maks huffed dramatically.

“I look ridiculous.”

“I’m sure you don’t.”

“I do. You’re going to laugh.”

He rolled his eyes. “Would it help if I put my pirate hat on?” He grabbed the hat from his bag and shoved it on his head. Meryl couldn’t help but smile at him; sat there in his oh-so-cool jeans and black t-shirt with a ridiculous pirate hat propped atop his head.

“Okay,” she eventually relented, pushing the door open a crack and slipping through.

Maks gave a long whistle and Robbie jumped up and down with glee at Mommy being dressed up.

“Helloooo Tinkerbell!” Maks greeted her, standing up to take her hands from where her arms crossed self-consciously around her middle, twirling her around so he could take a better look at her.

The dress was ridiculously short, but on Meryl it looked more sweetly sexy than trashy. Sections of shimmery green gauze and tulle puffed from the waist of a light green leotard, and a pair of twinkly silver wings completed the look.

“I know, I look stupid,” Meryl complained, as Maks continued to stare. He laughed and pulled her closer so that he could whisper to her without little ears listening in.

“No you don’t, you look hot. How did you know I have a thing for Tinkerbell?”

She eyed him suspiciously until he waggled his eyebrows at her flirtatiously.

“Seriously?”

He puffed out his cheeks, “I’ll be needing you to keep that on later…”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Two pirates, Tinkerbell and a cranky princess made their way down the busy sidewalk, stopping every few moments to pick up the tiara which the princess had ceremoniously flung to the ground in a fit of pique. Said fit had been caused by the princess’ father’s unwillingness to let her walk; mainly due to the fact that she had been trying to eat rocks she’d found at the edge of the sidewalk. Dasha was finding that being a princess didn’t always mean you got your own way.

Pirate Robbie strode ahead, waving his sword at various pixies, ghosts, life-sized pieces of Minecraft and oddly misshapen zoo animals. He’d already had enough sugar to power him to Mars, and Meryl reckoned that at this rate she might get him to sleep at some point before his twelfth birthday.

“Mommy! There’s Jack and Ellie from daycare!” he squealed, spotting two of his little friends up ahead, running off to meet them. Meryl and Maks followed at a slower pace, Maks giving Dasha another piece of candy to placate her, throwing Meryl an _I’m aware I’m going to regret giving her this candy at some point this evening, but right now it seems like a good idea,_ look.

“…so my mommy is Tinkerbell, and Dasha is a princess and my daddy is a pirate too, just like me!” Robbie was finishing talking to his friends as they approached, both of them stopping in their tracks as they heard the last part of his explanation. He turned, suddenly aware that they were much closer to him than he’d expected; his eyes suddenly registering horror as he realised that they’d heard what he’d just been telling his friends.

“You must be Robbie’s parents, I’m Elizabeth; Jack’s mom,” a woman dressed as a witch, held out her hand to Meryl, and she finally snapped out of her shock and reached out to shake it.

“Meryl,” she smiled, looking quickly at her son, whose gaze was now firmly cast towards the sidewalk. Maks put Dasha down, causing her to squeal with delight and head straight for the nearest rock to add to her candy.

They made small talk for a few moments before Robbie’s friends headed off in search of more houses to visit; Maks reaching out to take Robbie’s hand as the little boy’s eyes filled with tears.

“Robbie, I think we need to have a talk when we get back to the house,” Meryl said firmly but kindly, reaching out to pick up Dasha and removing the rocks from her clenched fist, much to the chagrin of the toddler.

*~*~*~*~

They had barely been back in the house for five minutes before Dasha had crashed out on the couch; too much candy, too many rocks; it had been a busy day for her. Meryl made them all mugs of hot chocolate and they sat down on the couch together.

“Robbie, you’re not in any trouble,” Meryl began, seeing her son’s bottom lip already beginning to tremble.

“But you’re mad at me!” he wailed, losing his composure as the tears began to fall.

“We’re not mad at you,” Maks replied, reaching out to lift Robbie onto his lap as Meryl cuddled up to them both.

“Sweetie, we’re not mad. But you know how important it is to tell the truth, and what you told your friends earlier wasn’t the truth. I’m sure you would feel better if you explained to us why you told them that.”

Robbie sniffed, wiping his tears on Maks’ shirt as he burrowed against him. “I told the boys and girls at daycare that Maks was my daddy and Dasha was my sister,” he finally admitted.

“Why did you tell them that?” asked Maks softly.

“Because I wish you were my daddy!” he blurted out, tears falling once again. “All the other boys and girls at daycare have daddies, even if they don’t live with them. And then one day you came to pick me up with Dasha and one of my friends asked if you were my daddy and I said yes and I liked it!”

Maks looked up at Meryl, who had tears in her eyes. He didn’t want to say anything else; he didn’t feel it was his place. He motioned towards the door, silently asking her if she wanted him to go so she could talk to Robbie alone, but she shook her head.

“Robbie, I know it’s hard sometimes but this is something that Maks and I have to decide together, it’s not a decision for you to make.”

“I know,” he sniffed, “But I don’t understand why you and Maks can’t get married. If you got married then Maks would be my daddy and you could be Dasha’s mommy and then we’d be a proper family and we could all live in one house!”

“Buddy, getting married is something that your mommy and I need to talk about on our own. We need lots and lots of time before we make a decision like that.”

“But I know that you love each other because you cuddle a lot and I’ve seen you having kisses, and not baby kisses; like kisses that princes and princesses in movies have!” he protested, “And I talked to Mrs Chermakorskee about it and she liked it when I said you should get married and even Grandma Sofia said so too, and she’s really old so she should know!”

Meryl smiled at Maks, raising an eyebrow, and he made a mental note to tell his mother and grandmother to keep their matchmaking ideas away from the ears of five year olds.

“Baby, Maks and I might get married one day. But it would be a long time from now, once we’ve spent lots and lots more time together.”

“And it doesn’t mean that we don’t love each other just because we’re not getting married right now,” Maks continued for her, “But we’ve got to make a really good decision for you and for Dasha.”

“So Robbie, I want you to promise me that you won’t tell any more lies to your friends. You can tell them the truth; that Maks is mommy’s boyfriend, and that one day they might get married but you don’t know if or when.”

“And Buddy,” Maks lifted his chin up to look him in the eye, “I promise that if the time comes that I want to ask your mommy if she’ll marry me, I’ll check that it’s okay with you first. Deal?”

Robbie considered the proposition for a moment then nodded, “Deal, but please don’t make it too long, okay?”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Meryl lay in Maks’ arms, both of them breathing heavily, various pieces of fairy and pirate costume scattered across the room where they’d been discarded. It had been a long and oddly emotional night after Robbie’s outburst, and by the time they’d finally got him to sleep, with Dasha on a little pull-out mattress in his room, they were both exhausted. Of course that had all been forgotten when Maks had got Tinkerbell to himself.

“Well Tinkerbell,” he began, smoothing her hair back and enjoying the feeling of running his hands through it, “Weird Disney fantasy fulfilled; check!”

She laughed and turned her head sideways to place a kiss against his chest, still glistening with sweat from their exertions.

“If that’s the limit of your weird fantasies then I think I can handle it.”

“Hey, don’t speak too soon. We might just be scratching the surface here…” he teased, rolling her over to place a soft kiss against her lips.

She lay back down against his chest and sighed contentedly, pulling the sheet up to cover them both; the October night beginning to get a little chilly.

“Thank you for tonight,” she whispered softly to him. “It made it easier to explain to Robbie with you there too.”

“No problem,” Maks kissed her hair, “I’m glad we were able to talk to him about it together.”

“I just hope they both sleep tonight,” Meryl groaned, “They’ve had so much candy and that little mattress isn’t really the best for Dasha and…”

“About that,” Maks interrupted her, “I’ve been thinking…”

“Oh?”

“Well, I had started thinking last weekend when you and Robbie came over that maybe I could fix up the spare room at my place so it’s a bit more kid-friendly. I mean, we spend more of our time there anyway.” He fiddled with her hair, obviously a bit nervous to continue. “Then when I started thinking about it all I could focus on was that I wish you guys could stay every night, and I began wondering what it would be like if you guys moved in?”

Meryl puffed out a breath she didn’t even know she’d been holding. “How long have you been considering this Maks?”

“Maybe a week or so,” he admitted, “But I couldn’t get it out of my head. I don’t want you to think that I just brought it up because of what happened with Robbie tonight.”

“Maks,” she sat up so that she could look him in the eye, the sheet pooling around both of their waists. “I love you; you know how much I love you right?”

“I love you too Babe,” he nodded.

“It’s just… it just seems fast.”

“I know,” he admitted, “But Mer, it’s got to the point where I feel like I’m rushing through the week so it can be the weekend so we can be together again. I know we both agreed not to take the kids away from our own homes during the week when they have daycare and we’re working, but I miss you when we’re apart. The house feels empty without you.”

She looked at their joined hands and sighed, “Maks, I understand because I do feel the same way. I love being with you and I miss you when we’re not together. But, I don’t know… I mean, I only just got my own place. I’ve never lived on my own before and it’s the first time I’ve ever been independent. I just feel like I want to prove to myself that I can do it.”

He nodded silently and she squeezed his hands, “I’m not saying that has anything to do with our relationship, okay? I love you so much; so much it scares me Maks! But I think that tonight has shown me that I need to make things clear to Robbie; it would confuse him even more if we moved in together but still weren’t getting married, and I think we know that it’s too soon for us to do that.”

He looked up and saw the care and concern in her eyes. He knew she wasn’t rejecting him, but it still hurt a little.

“I do like the idea of fixing up the room a little for Robbie though,” she agreed, “And I’m not saying that I’ll need a lot of time, just a bit, okay?”

He smiled, pulling her onto his lap and kissing her sweetly, “Okay, but if I’m waiting then next time it might be a different question…” he admitted.

“And I would most likely be agreeable to that,” she smiled, “But just give me a bit of time, okay?”

“Whatever you need, Babe,” he agreed, lying down and pulling her back against him.

She might have not said yes, but he felt confident that things were moving in the right direction. He was positive that this relationship was forever; he’d just have to be patient. If she needed time then he would give her that. He would give Meryl everything.

 


	10. Chapter 9 - All I Want for Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Well, here’s the next chapter of Two Halves of a Whole. Once again, a huge thank you to the many people who have left kudos or comments; you keep me going! So this chapter picks up a couple of months after the last. It feels odd to be writing about Christmas time but that’s where we are in the fic! Since this weekend is a holiday here, I’m planning on trying to write another chapter – probably on Monday, although I think it may be slightly shorter than usual. I hope you’re enjoying this and I apologise profusely for the appalling quality of the smut; I feel like it’s a cop out not writing it, but I’m aware that it’s not my strong point.
> 
> Warning – contains pretty detailed smut and scenes which may cast doubt on the existence of Santa.

**Chapter 9 – All I Want for Christmas**

“Mix it up really well,” Meryl instructed a flour-covered Robbie as he wrestled with the wooden spoon in the gloopy mixture. It was Christmas Eve and she, Robbie and Dasha were making cookies in Maks’ kitchen while he worked late, fixing the finishing touches on routines for his dancers who’d be competing shortly after the New Year. She’d been glad to be offering more help to him considering he’d been the one to suggest mutual support with child care at first. Somehow it made her feel like more of an equal partner to him than just the lost single mother she’d been when they’d first met.

She kept a close eye on the kids as she popped dinner in the oven; Dasha wasn’t really helping so much as devouring chocolate chips and decorating the top of her high chair with cookie dough. Meryl smiled at the baby as she giggled, grabbing a cloth to wipe her face clean and kissing the top of her head affectionately. She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t grown extremely attached to her; and really if she was honest with herself, she was completely second-guessing her decision to not move in with Maks. Every day she’d found herself falling a little more in love with both him and Dasha, and lately she’d found herself dreaming more and more often of what life would be like if the four of them were together all the time. In fact if she was being completely honest, sometimes in her dreams it was a family slightly larger than four she was envisaging…

She couldn’t help but feel guilty at Maks’ reaction to the whole thing as well. Any other guy would have felt slighted by her hesitancy, but Maks said he completely understood her need to assert her independence, and it wasn’t just words – she knew that he meant it. Their relationship had only strengthened since then and Meryl was beginning to get to the point that she was considering that maybe she was ready to take the next step and commit to Maks.

Twirling the dish towel she was holding absent-mindedly in her hand, she considered the best way to bring up the subject again, when she was interrupted by the insistent delighted shrieks of the little person now re-covered in cookie dough beside her.

“Ma, ma, ma, ma!!!” Dasha waved her arms towards Meryl, signalling she wanted to be picked up.

“She’s trying to say ‘Mama!’” Robbie exclaimed, jumping off the stool beside the kitchen worktop and racing towards Dasha with glee. “Good girl Dasha! Mama! Mama!” he encouraged her.

“Robbie…” Meryl’s warning tone was beginning to lose its effect, she knew it was futile anyway; Robbie was still intent on the whole Meryl as Mommy and Maks as Daddy thing, and nothing she could say was going to change his mind. He’d inherited the Davis family stubborn streak, that was for sure. Besides, if she was being totally honest with herself, hearing the little one call her ‘Mama’ was something of a secret guilty wish.

“Well little one, do you think we’ve put in enough chocolate chips?” she reached her arms out to lift Dasha from the high-chair, resting her on her hip and laughing as she reached a sticky hand out to grab her hair.

“Right, we’re cleaning you up now or we’ll all need showers before your daddy gets home at this rate.”

She let Robbie get back to the mixing and reached for the wet wipes; she was just beginning to make headway when a ring at the door interrupted her progress. Shifting Dasha into her arms again she headed to the door, calling to Robbie to leave the cookie dough until she was back from the door.

“Who could it be at this time?” she cooed cheerfully to Dasha, manoeuvring her way around the pushchair in the hallway and unlocking the front door to be met by an extremely well-dressed, attractive blonde woman.

“Hello?”

“Oh,” the woman seemed uncertain, as though she’d not been who she was expecting.

“Can I help you?” Meryl offered.

The woman shook her head and made to leave, “I’m sorry, I must have the wrong address…”

“This isn’t my house,” Meryl replied, “It’s…” she stopped in her tracks as she realised all at once who the visitor was.

“Svetlana?”

The woman turned, a shocked expression across her heavily made-up features, “Yes, how did you know my name?”

Meryl swallowed the lump in her throat, jealousy and something akin to hatred, at the very least strong dislike, immediately building in her gut. This was the woman who had left Maks. This was the woman who had abandoned her baby daughter; the little girl she was now holding in her arms; this perfect little angel. What kind of a woman could leave their own child?!

“I’m…I’m… Maks told me,” she finally stammered.

She was met with silence, the woman casting her gaze down towards her shoes.

“He’s not here just now,” she continued, “he’s working late at the studio. I suppose you should come in.” She held the door open and stood aside to allow the other woman to enter the house. For a moment she wondered if she was doing the right thing; Maks might be angry that she’d let her in, but it was a bit late to be worrying about it now.

“Do you know when Maks will be home?” Svetlana asked, clearly uncomfortable with the situation.

“Soon hopefully,” Meryl replied honestly, “I’m just getting dinner ready just now. Well, in between baking cookies with my two helpers!” she grinned at Dasha and was rewarded with a sloppy kiss to her cheek from the little girl.

“I’m sorry…” Svetlana seemed to suddenly register the baby’s presence. “Daria?”

Meryl nodded slowly, somewhat shocked that the woman had taken so long to realise it was her own daughter she was holding. Svetlana reached a hand out towards her and Dasha’s little eyebrows furrowed, unsure of the stranger in front of her.

“Dasha, it’s Mommy,” Svetlana cooed, leaning in closer with a smile.

This was clearly too much for Dasha, and she whipped her head away, burrowing it into Meryl’s shoulder and beginning to fuss as she occasionally did when she met strangers. It wasn’t like she was old enough to realise who the woman was, but Meryl couldn’t help but secretly be pleased that the baby wasn’t happy to see her. Mentally she chastised herself; it wasn’t her place to judge.

“I’m sorry, she’s just a little unsure of new people,” Meryl explained, rubbing the infant’s back soothingly.

“Would you mind if I held her?” Svetlana asked, holding her arms out towards Dasha, who was still tucked under Meryl’s chin. They were interrupted by the click of a key in the door and Maks arriving in the hallway. He stopped still in his tracks, staring at the woman in front of him; an expression Meryl had never seen gracing his handsome features.

“Get your hands away from her,” he commanded, sounding like he was teetering on the brink of exploding.

“Maks!” she seemed shocked, either by his reaction or simply by his sudden appearance. She lowered her outstretched arms immediately and turned towards him. He ran a hand through his hair and dropped his car keys on the shelf by his side.

“I’m gonna give you thirty seconds to get out of here…” he warned, his voice low.

“Maks,” Meryl interrupted hesitantly, “Why don’t I take the kids out for a bit…”

He shook his head angrily, before softening his expression as he sensed Meryl’s discomfort. “No, Babe, there’s no need. Svetlana is leaving.”

He took a step closer to the door and opened it wide. Meryl could tell there was no point in trying to reason with him, and frankly she wasn’t sure that she wanted to.

“Maks, I know you’re angry…” Svetlana began, not looking like she had any intention of going anywhere.

“Damn right I am,” he agreed, “Here’s the door, now use it!”

She sighed, her shoulders dropping in defeat, “Look, I understand why you’re angry. God knows I’ve given you enough reason. But it’s been over a year Maks; you haven’t even introduced me…” she nodded towards Meryl.

“Fine,” he agreed, setting his jaw defiantly. “Svetlana, this is Meryl; my girlfriend and the closest thing to a mother Daria’s ever known. Hell, if I had my way, we’d be making that official.”

Meryl could see Svetlana’s face harden, before she finally collected her thoughts enough to reply. “Meryl, I’m sorry to have caused a scene. I’ll leave now, but before I go,” she reached into her expensive designer purse, “Here’s the address I’ll be staying at while I’m in town. I’d give it to Maks but I can see he’s angry and I know he’d just rip it up. I’m here until just after New Year.”

She handed the card to Meryl then made her way to the door, looking up at Maks whose gaze was directed defiantly towards the ground, “I’ll be in touch again, but if you change your mind before then, you can find me there.”

And with that she closed the front door behind her, leaving the hallway in stunned silence.

*~*~*~*~

Meryl didn’t push Maks to discuss what had happened. She could tell he was trying to supress his anger and she knew that right then talking about it would only make it bubble to the surface once more. He needed time to process how he felt about what had happened before she wanted to tackle him on it. Dinner was a somewhat uncomfortable affair, and both of them found themselves focused on the children, forcing themselves to be unnaturally cheery and invested in what Robbie had to say. If he picked up on the awkward atmosphere he didn’t show it; instead happy to babble about the Christmas cookies and whether Santa would have started his journey yet.

After dinner they sat and watched holiday movies as a family; Dasha eventually snoozing in Meryl’s arms. She was just about to suggest that it was time she and Robbie made a move home when he reached an arm around her waist, pulling her to him and whispering in her ear.

“I’m sorry for tonight,” she could see the remorse in his eyes. “Please can you stay?”

She sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder, “All of Robbie’s gifts are in the apartment…”

“I’ll go over as soon as he’s in bed and bring them back,” he pleaded, “Meryl, I need you…”

She was helpless against his expression, and she found herself nodding her agreement; knowing that showing her support was something she had to do.

“Robbie, sweetie,” she began, leaning forwards to ruffle her son’s hair where he sat on the carpet below them, “It’s getting late so Maks suggested that maybe we could just stay here tonight.”

“But Santa doesn’t know that we’re here!” he seemed horrified, “What if he doesn’t know where to go?!”

Meryl shot Maks a tortured look, as if to say _“You explain this one.”_

“Hmm, good point Buddy,” he nodded, “We could always call his office and let them know.”

Robbie’s eyes sparkled with excitement at the idea, “You have Santa’s number?”

Maks nodded and pressed a finger to his lips to show it was top secret information. “You have to promise you won’t tell anybody though?”

Robbie nodded vigorously.

“Okay Buddy, you go and get ready for bed. Your spare pjs are still in your room. I’ll bring the phone up and we can call together.”

Fifteen minutes later an excited Robbie bounded down the stairs and into Meryl’s arms, whispering suddenly as he realised that Dasha was asleep.

“I spoke to Santa’s elf!” he almost squeaked with excitement. “He said it’s okay and that it was a good idea for us to call and he’s going to send Santa a message so he’ll know where to go. I was worried but he says it happens all the time and that Santa hasn’t ever made a mistake yet.”

“Whoa!” Meryl sounded suitably impressed, “What a lucky boy you are, getting to speak to a real elf! Wasn’t it lucky Maks had his number?” she raised her eyebrow towards Maks who was descending the stairs with a smirk.

“Val,” he mouthed, “Says we owe him big time!”

She rolled her eyes, “Well, Santa must be on his way then. We should really get the milk and cookies ready or we’ll not have time to get to sleep before he comes. And you know what that means…”

“No gifts!” Robbie gasped, jumping up from the couch and rushing towards the kitchen to find the plate of decidedly wonky cookies the trio had baked earlier.

After setting out the milk and cookies, they put the children to bed together; slipping a sleeping Dasha into her crib before sitting side by side on the edge of Robbie’s bed as he begged Meryl to sing a Christmas song to send him to sleep. She smiled, kissing his forehead before beginning her favourite holiday song.

_Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,  
Jack Frost nipping at your nose…_

*~*~*~*~*~

Maks had returned from her apartment and was heating milk when she descended the stairs after taking a shower, wearing one of his old t-shirts as a nightdress. The cookies and milk still lay untouched on the coffee table in the living room, and she headed into the kitchen, slipping her arms around him and laying her cheek against his back. He took the milk pan off the stove and turned around, cupping her face in his hands.

“Thank you for staying,” he whispered, bending his head down to kiss her softly.

“You needed me; I’m here,” she replied, simply.

“I’m sorry about what happened earlier,” he sighed, reaching up to the cupboard for some mugs, before pouring the warm milk into them and handing her one as they made their way through to the living room.

“Maks, I know that you’re angry, but don’t you think we should talk about it?”

“I’d rather not,” he replied, curtly.

She persisted, not wanting to go to bed without at least acknowledging how he was feeling, “But Maks, you haven’t seen her in over a year.”

He grabbed her hand, sitting down on the couch and pulling her onto his lap. “And I don’t want to see her again.”

She could feel the anger building up inside him once more, but was determined not to back down, “I’ve still got the address in my purse…”

“I don’t want to talk about her,” he maintained, slipping a hand up her bare leg and lowering his head to drop a kiss against her neck.

“But Maks, she’s made the effort to contact you…”

“Mer!” he sat up straight and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. “Babe, please…” He leaned forwards again, moving her legs to straddle his lap and sliding both his hands up her thighs to cup her ass, pulling her flush against him as he lowered his lips to capture hers.

“Maks…” she tried to protest but gave up; he was angry but he wasn’t ready to talk about it.

“Later…” he promised, as his lips left hers and he traced a path down her chin, her jaw, then nibbled at the sensitive skin behind her ear – his tongue leaving a wet path down her neck before he blew on it; sending little shivers up her spine as he followed it up with kisses, then focused on the little dip in her throat. She lost all sense of perspective at that; he knew it was one of her weaknesses, and she moaned and squirmed against him as he sucked and teased.

She could sense his urgency and let him take complete control; grasping her t-shirt by the hem and hauling it over her head before throwing it across the living room in one swift movement. She divested him of his shirt and let him deal with his belt after her fumbling fingers couldn’t remove it quickly enough for his liking.

“I need you…” he whispered again to her, palming her breasts as she rolled her hips against his now evident arousal; only their underwear separating them. He dipped his head to replace one of his hands with his mouth; rolling his tongue around her nipple before sucking hard, Meryl feeling the wetness between her legs growing by the second. She groaned as he worked his magic on her breasts before lifting her hips just enough to hook two fingers inside her underwear, dragging them down her legs and casting them onto the floor below. She tried to divest him of his but he was more intent on reaching his hand down the smooth plane of her stomach to rub against her, and with that first stroke any sense or ability to think coherently was gone, her head beginning to loll back at the sensation of his fingers slipping through her folds. His thumb reached out to rub her most sensitive area and he suddenly plunged a finger inside her, causing her to gasp and buck against him. He added a second finger and she moved in rhythm with him, moaning his name and holding onto his shoulders with a vice-like grip as she felt the tension in her beginning to mount like a tightly coiled spring.

“I need you…” she gasped, wanting to feel him inside her, and he obliged, standing up momentarily; her legs clamped around his waist, then kicking off his underwear before turning them round and flipping her back onto the couch, hovering over her for a second before plunging into her, right to the hilt.

She let out a long hiss as he filled her completely, grasping his shoulders and hearing him moan as her tight walls stretched to accommodate his size. Then he began to move. Most of their lovemaking up until this moment had been slow and leisurely; taking their time to get to know each other’s bodies and what the other liked. This was hard and fast, driven completely by Maks; she was completely at his mercy, but she’d have been lying if she’d said she wasn’t enjoying it. He set a quick rhythm, immersing himself deeply within her before pulling out almost fully; she moving her hips up to meet his, her back arching off the couch as both their breathing quickened along with the pace. She could sense him getting closer by the sounds he was making and he reached a hand between them to roll her clit between his fingers, sending her careering over the edge, convulsing around him; her movements causing his own orgasm, until both of them rode out the last waves, finally lying sated on the couch, and he pulled out of her, drawing her body on top of his as their breathing began to slow.

There was silence for a few moments before Meryl spoke.

“Well, since you seem to have got your anger out now, maybe you want to give me some answers?”

He turned his head sideways to look at her, then covered his eyes with his hand. It was only when she noticed his body was shaking that she realised he was crying.

“Maks…” she panicked, rolling over to tuck herself against his side.

“I’m sorry,” he rubbed his eyes, “I’m so sorry…”

“Shh…” she soothed, rubbing circles against his chest and kissing his shoulder. “It’s okay…”

“No,” he replied, “it’s not okay. I was angry and I tried to get rid of my anger by having sex with you. How could I do that? That’s not what our relationship is about!”

“It’s okay,” she maintained, “well, it will be if you talk to me about it. As long as you don’t shut me out Maks. I need you to be honest with me and tell me how you’re feeling.”

He shook his head as though admitting defeat and gathered her fully into his arms, reaching over the back of the couch to pull the throw which lay there over both of them.

“I was just so angry, Meryl. I can’t believe she had the nerve to show up here after all this time. Just when things are going so well between us. She has no right to come back here!”

Meryl didn’t reply, she felt it was important to let him get all his feelings out without interruption. Instead she just encouraged him with gentle kisses against his chest and by taking his hand, linking their fingers together.

“She left me Meryl, but worse than that; she left Daria. Our baby! She left her daughter and had nothing to do with her for over a year. Who would do that to a child? What kind of a mother can leave her baby and continue her life as though she’d never existed? And then, just when things are going so well with us; all I can think of is you as Daria’s mother… suddenly she’s back and she wants to know us again! How selfish can one woman be?!”

She could begin to feel the tension seeping out of him as he ranted to her, the arms which had been clutching her tightly to him, beginning to relax as his breathing slowed.

“Maks,” she began, choosing her words carefully, “You know that there is nothing I want more than to be a mom to Dasha, right?”

He nodded his understanding and she continued, “But Maks, it’s not right for me to take that title until you’ve sorted things out with Svetlana and she’s sure she doesn’t want to be involved in Dasha’s life. What happens if ten or fifteen years from now Dasha finds out that her mother wanted to get in contact again and we prevented it? I couldn’t face it if she turned against me or turned against us because we’d made that decision for her; if we stop her real mother from staying in contact with her and building a relationship.”

Maks puffed out a breath she hadn’t even been aware he’d been holding.

“You’re right,” he agreed, “And I’m sorry I even tried to put you in that position. This is why I want you to be Daria’s mom; because you want the best for her.”

“Of course I do,” she smiled softly, “I love her Maks. I love both of you, and I would love nothing more than for the four of us to be a family, but we have to clear up the loose ends first, and if that means sitting down and hashing things out with Svetlana then so be it. And if Svetlana does want to be a part of Dasha’s life then that’s something we’re going to have to deal with. But you need to know that it won’t affect how I feel about you or Dasha.”

“I’ll call her,” he agreed, “I want to marry you Meryl, I want the four of us to be a family, and if this is what I need to do to convince you, then I’ll do it. Just give me Christmas Day? Tomorrow’s for the kids and for us; I don’t want her spoiling it. The day after, I promise I’ll call her.”

“I love you,” she whispered, closing her eyes as she rested her head against his chest.

“I love you too,” he murmured into her hair, “And I hate to have to do this but we can’t sleep here because we might traumatise Santa.” 

And with that he wrapped the throw tighter around her, and hoisted her easily to cradle her in his arms, grabbing a cookie for each of them and draining the glass of milk quickly.

“Bed,” he smiled, “or we definitely won’t be getting any gifts tomorrow.”


	11. Chapter 10 - A Very Chmerkovskiy Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! First off, huge apologies that I didn’t get this up yesterday. I had a mega busy weekend with a close friend who now lives on an island in the North of the country (aka, the middle of nowhere) come to visit and had the opportunity to spend much more time with her than I’d originally imagined, so I figured writing would have to wait. 
> 
> Thank you so much for all the comments, kudos etc! Special thanks to Bekind2everyone for being my awesome chat pal, and Baby-Bear-Chmerkovskiy for some really lovely encouragement! 
> 
> I wasn’t going to include smut in this, but I figured since I was late posting I should put it in as an apology – so SMUT warning ahead!

**Chapter 10 – A Very Chmerkovskiy Christmas**

“Meryl, we need to leave in five minutes,” Maks called from her living room as she put the finishing touches to her outfit; smoothing the deep red fabric of her dress across her middle and checking her lipstick in the mirror.

“Two minutes!” she called back, grabbing the last few things from the room and wishing she’d thought to ask Maks to bring her clothes back with him when he’d gone to pick up the gifts the previous night.

“Will I do?” she appeared at the door, Maks giving a long low whistle and motioning with his hand for her to twirl.

“You,” he stood up to kiss her softly, “Are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, and I don’t tell you that nearly enough.”

She laughed, noticing Robbie peeking at them from between his fingers.

“Can I look yet?”

It was Christmas Day and after a blissful morning, opening gifts with the kids back at Maks’ place, they’d had to get ready to go to his parents’ house for the full on Chmerkovskiy Christmas Extravaganza. Although Maks’ family were Jewish on his father’s side, his mother still liked to celebrate the holiday, and as Maks had explained, the rest of them were always up for any excuse for a party.

With Robbie and Meryl now suitably dressed for the occasion after a quick stop back at Meryl’s apartment, they were on their way; car stuffed with gifts and the dish they were bringing for dinner. As Maks drove them carefully through the snowy streets towards his parents’, Robbie singing “Jingle Bells” in the back seat while Dasha babbled tunelessly along with him, Meryl was suddenly hit by the thought that her life had changed almost inconceivably from where she’d been the previous year. If someone had told her then that she’d be working in New Jersey, head of a rink, in a committed relationship with an amazing man, with another beautiful child in her life, well…

“You look deep in thought, Babe,” Maks interrupted her daydream, reaching a hand out to rest on her leg.

“I’m just thinking that I’m the luckiest girl in the world right now,” she smiled, picking up his hand and lacing her fingers through his.

After the trauma of Svetlana returning the previous day, they’d agreed not to worry about her for the time being, and discuss what they would do after the holiday was over. Meryl had put the whole thing to the back of her mind, mostly at Maks’ request, but also because she was determined that nothing was going to spoil their happiness on their first Christmas together.

Waking up that morning had increased the sentiments she’d been having tenfold. Robbie had bounced onto their bed shortly before seven, so excited he could barely get out a coherent sentence. Maks had gone to fetch Dasha, and Robbie had led the four of them downstairs to discover that, yes, the phonecall to Santa’s office the previous night had worked! They’d then spent the morning in their pjs; letting the kids open some of their gifts and having a lazy breakfast. It had been perfect; the kind of thing Meryl had once imagined was reserved for other women.

“We’re here!” Maks announced, pulling into his parents’ driveway and beginning to unpack the car. Meryl unstrapped Dasha from her little car seat, smoothing her little red and green Christmas dress down and fixing the Christmas ribbons she’d put in her hair. Maks had joked that one of the main differences in Dasha’s life since the arrival of Meryl was that her style had definitely improved.

“Merry Christmas Mrs Chermakorskee!” Robbie greeted Larissa excitedly as they unbundled themselves in the hallway and headed through to join the rest of the family in the living room. The two children were immediately wrapped up in hugs and kisses from everyone as Maks and Meryl stood in the doorway, smiling at the children’s excited reactions.

“Have you guys had a fun morning?” Val asked Robbie, settling the little boy onto his lap and ruffling his hair affectionately.

“Uh huh!” Robbie nodded enthusiastically. “We were at Maks’ and I was worried last night that Santa wouldn’t know, but Maks had Santa’s elf’s number and we called him and I even got to talk to him and when we got up this morning Santa had brought all the presents to the right place!”

“Whoa!” the whole room feigned shock impressively well, with Val looking particularly proud of his role as Head Elf.

“And what about you, little one?” Larissa bounced Dasha on her knee, receiving a giggle in reward.

“Dasha got a new doll, didn’t you Dashy!” Robbie hopped off Val’s lap and knelt in front of Larissa, holding Dasha’s hands and waving them around. The little girl squealed with delight, obviously enjoying the attention.

They were interrupted by the arrival of Maks’ grandmother from the kitchen, greeting them all in a wonderfully jumbled mix of English and Russian, kissing the children soundly and then stopping in her tracks as she spied Maks, stood behind Meryl with his arms wrapped around her waist. She narrowed her eyes craftily and pointed a finger at them.

“What?” Maks wasn’t quite sure what he’d done.

She motioned her finger upwards and the whole room began to catcall and whistle at them as they realised that Sofia had spotted the mistletoe above their heads.

“Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” they shouted, and even Robbie, who had taken to closing his eyes during moments of PDA, joined in, clapping his hands enthusiastically.

Maks rolled his eyes at his mother, who was obviously the culprit responsible for the mistletoe, before holding his hands up in protest.

“We’re not here for your entertainment you know!” he protested.

“Maks, quit whinging and kiss the girl!” his father called across the room, “Or I’m sending Val up to do the job for you…”

“Well, in that case…” Maks spun Meryl in his arms, dipping her dramatically and bending down to kiss her deeply, both of them not really bothered by the whoops and cheers of his family around them. By the time he’d pulled her back to her feet Meryl’s face was prettily flushed, though by leaning backwards or embarrassment he wasn’t quite sure.

Sofia clapped her hands together approvingly and made her way over to kiss both of them, patting Meryl’s cheek affectionately.

“I don’t see a ring yet…” she scolded Maks in Russian, raising her eyebrows in that maddening way which turned him back into a five year old boy every time she did it.

“Give me time, Grandma!” he protested and Meryl shot him a questioning look; her level of Russian, even after many years with Marina, was definitely not at the level of debating marriage.

Soon everyone was chatting happily and gifts were being passed around; the children first, with Robbie and Dasha receiving more toys from the Chmerkovskiys and the Volynets, then Meryl and Maks passed out their gifts to everyone, with Larissa seeming particularly touched with the beautiful framed photo of Dasha which Meryl had put together for her. Meryl and Maks received a joint gift from his parents of a voucher for a restaurant Maks liked in the city, with a coupon included for “free babysitting for an evening with the Grandparents.” Finally it was Sofia’s turn to dole out gifts to all her family, which she did with a twinkle in her eye.

“Why does Grandma Sofia go last?” Robbie asked, intrigued.

“Because Grandma Sofia always chooses the most fun gifts,” Val explained with a grin, raising his eyebrows to Maks.   Evidently it was some sort of running family joke.

Everyone opened them one by one, with Sofia laughing heartily at each of their reactions; Meryl hadn’t quite understood some of the gifts, and Maks had leaned over to whisper the relevance of each. Finally it was Maks’ turn and he received a hideous Christmas-themed sweater which apparently was the latest in a series, then Meryl was handed her gift. She tore the paper open, wondering if she too had a similar garment, only to immediately freeze as she realised what was inside.

“What is it Meryl?” Larissa called across the room.

Her cheeks turned scarlet and she floundered for a response as Sofia chuckled in the corner.

“Grandma…” Maks gave her a warning gaze before glancing down at what was in Meryl’s lap, hidden by the paper.

“What is it, honey?” Maks’ mom asked, innocently.

“Nothing,” Maks’ eyes grew wide.

“Show us!” Val insisted, reaching over to see what was inside, only for Maks to grab the gift away.

“Thank you Grandma, we’ll enjoy that…later,” he offered, as Meryl chuckled and folded the lingerie away in her bag.

They _would_ enjoy that later.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After a huge dinner, everyone sat back in their chairs, full and content just to chat. It wasn’t often that Maks’ extended family was in the same place at the same time, such were their schedules. After discussing Maks’ studio and Nicole’s role as a troupe dancer on the Dancing with the Stars show, conversation soon filtered back to the children, with Robbie being asked about his preschool and friends.

“So have you had fun having your first Christmas in New Jersey?” Val asked him, as Robbie spooned a generous helping of ice cream into his little mouth, narrowly missing dribbling most of it down his shirt.

He nodded vigorously. “I miss my Grandpa and Grandma, but we talk to them on the computer and I liked having Christmas here and with Maks and Dasha.”

“Dasha loved having Christmas with you too,” Larissa agreed, “You’ll be a very good big brother one day…”

Robbie seemed oblivious to the comment but Maks shot his mother a warning look, “Mom…”

“I know, I know…inappropriate!” she protested, turning her attention away from Maks and Meryl and focusing back on the baby on her lap.

Aleksandr broke the tension, “So, Robbie, did Santa bring you everything you asked for?”

They all laughed and Robbie thought carefully for a second. “Almost!” he replied.

“Oh, did he leave something off the list?” Aleksandr teased, gently.

“Well…” Robbie began, looking a little unsure of what he was about to say, before Sofia nodded for him to continue. “When Mommy took me to the mall to meet Santa I got to ask him for what I’d like for Christmas and there was one thing that I asked for that he said he wasn’t sure he could bring.”

Maks groaned internally and grabbed Meryl’s hand under the table.

“I asked him if he could make my mommy and Maks get married,” he explained to stifled giggles from around the table. “But Santa said that he couldn’t really do gifts like that and that I would just have to cross my fingers that it would come true!” His little face looked suitably hopeful.

“Aww! How can you say no to that face?!” Nicole protested, with the rest of the family rounding on them too.

“Well there are two people in this room who could make that wish come true!” Larissa insisted and Meryl leaned her head on Maks’ shoulder as they both laughed in protest.

“Mom, did you and Grandma rehearse that with Robbie before dinner?” He pointed a finger at her accusingly. “Seriously, the thing is; you know how crazy I am about Meryl, and yes, we’ve discussed marriage, but give us a bit of time, okay?”

“But you guys are perfect for each other, man!” Val insisted.

“We’ll do it when we’re ready,” Meryl insisted, “We don’t want to feel pressured into it. Besides, I don’t know why you’re looking at me; I’ve got no say in the timing whatsoever!” and she elbowed Maks, grinning from ear to ear as the family laughed at her comment.

“Hey! I thought you were supposed to be on my side; you’re meant to be backing me up here!” he protested, and she held her hands up in mock innocence. “I’m not doing it at Christmas because it’s too predictable!”

“Too predictable!” laughed his father, “Trust you to want to make it a surprise!”

Maks shrugged, pulling Meryl closer to him with the arm slung casually around her shoulders, “Well, it should be special for this one. So, you’ll need to be on your guard at all times!” He grinned, dropping his head down to place a soft kiss against her lips, earning a chorus of awws from the rest of the family.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was later in the evening and the family was back in the living room. Maks and Val had started a roaring fire in the fireplace and Meryl had helped Larissa make hot chocolate for everyone. Robbie sat on the carpet, playing contentedly with a Lego set Nicole and Teddy had bought for him, and Maks had put Dasha down for a nap in a spare room upstairs, knowing that it had been an exciting day for her.

“So what are your plans for New Year’s?” Maks asked Nicole, “Are you going back to LA?”

She shook her head, “No I’m staying here for a while; it’s nice to be home after the season is over.”

“Any gossip you want to share with the rest of us?” Val rubbed his hands together eagerly; they were all still in touch with many of the dancers on the show from their competitive days and liked to hear how they were getting on.

Nicole shrugged, trying but failing to sound nonchalant, “Anyone in particular?”

“No!” Maks protested, “Please don’t bring her up today!”

“Who?” Larissa seemed oblivious to the subtext, looking genuinely confused as the younger family members looked amongst each other nervously. Maks finally puffed out a breath he didn’t even know he’d been holding, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers.

“Svetlana is back in town,” he admitted.

The shock was written all across his parents’ faces, “Svetlana is back, here?!” his mother questioned, “Since when?”

“Since yesterday,” admitted Meryl, earning another shocked expression from Maks’ parents.

“And you didn’t think to tell us?” Larissa accused Maks.

“Mom, she literally turned up at the door yesterday while I was out. Meryl was in with the kids and I came back a few minutes after she’d arrived. I really don’t want to talk about her.”

“But why now all of a sudden?” Aleksandr asked, “We haven’t heard a word from her since the day she left and suddenly she arrives back. Did she want to see Daria?”

Meryl nodded, “She asked if she could hold her but Dasha was getting upset…”

“I can understand why!” Larissa interrupted, “She hasn’t shown any interest in that child since she was born! Why does she suddenly want to know now?”

“Word on the street is that she’s fighting with her new man,” Nicole offered. “I didn’t see it myself but I heard people talking about it quite a bit backstage on the show.”

Teddy nodded, “Some of the guys were talking to Viktor about it and he said it’s pretty much over. He’s had enough of her drama. They were holding it together while the show was still on, but knowing she’s back here, it must be over. There’s only one reason she’d come back…”

He stopped suddenly and Meryl looked at the expression on his face; it told her more than if he’d continued.

“Maks…” she completed the sentence for him.

She was met with a sea of reassurance from the rest of the family, and Maks tightened his arm around her.

“Well, she’ll be disappointed there,” Larissa nodded resolutely, “As if Maks would even remotely consider going back to that…” she gave a Russian word Meryl didn’t recognise, but understood the meaning of by the tone of venom in her voice. “Especially when he has beautiful Meryl now!”

Everyone agreed and conversation shifted suddenly away from the topic. Meryl tried to keep up with what was being said as she snuggled into Maks’ side on the couch, but at the back of her mind she felt uneasy now that the subject of Svetlana had been brought up again, and she could tell that Maks did too.

_Tomorrow_ , she told herself. She was having such a wonderful time. All the trouble with Svetlana would just have to wait ‘til tomorrow.

*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was well after nine by the time they left the Chmerkovskiys and headed back to Maks’ place for the night. Larissa had asked them to stay but they were keen to get the kids in familiar beds and relax alone together for a while. Dasha had been asleep for a few hours already and Meryl carried her straight to her crib when they got into the house, briefly waking her to put her in her pjs before returning to the living room where a sleepy Robbie lay curled up on Maks’ lap.

“Bed,” she commanded, ruffling her little one’s hair. “It’s been an exciting day and you’re tired.”

“No I’m not!” he tried to protest, stifling a yawn.

“Mommy’s right,” Maks agreed, as the little boy burrowed into the warmth of his chest. “Come on, how about I put you to bed tonight?”

“Okay,” Robbie nodded, looping his arms around Maks’ neck as he picked him up, and leaning up to kiss his mom goodnight.

“Night, Baby,” she smiled, “Sleep well.”

Maks could feel Robbie’s head already lolling as he carried him upstairs, heading into the spare room which had unofficially become Robbie’s and switching on the lamp next to the bed.

“Pjs first,” he set Robbie down on the bed and helped the sleepy little boy change before crawling into bed.

“Can I have a story?” Robbie yawned, and Maks laughed.

“Buddy, you’ll be asleep before the end of the first page. Besides, there was something I wanted to talk to you about.”

“You wanted to talk to _me_?” Robbie seemed surprised.

“Man to man,” Maks nodded seriously, kneeling beside the bed so they could talk quietly.

“Okay,” agreed the little boy.

Maks cleared his throat and wondered how to bring up the subject. He’d never been so nervous speaking to a five year old before. “So, you know how much I love your mommy, right?”

“Right,” agreed Robbie.

“So, do you remember a while back we had a chat about us maybe getting married and I told you that I’d check with you if it was alright before I asked her?”

Robbie’s eyes lit up, “Are you going to ask Mommy to marry you?”

Maks couldn’t stop an ear to ear grin from reaching his face. “Yeah, I am. But only if it’s okay with you, Buddy.”

Robbie said nothing, instead sitting up suddenly in bed and throwing his arms around Maks, his little cheek pressed firmly to his chest.

“Is that a yes?” Maks laughed.

The little boy nodded vigorously. “Yes!”

Maks laughed and kissed his head, ruffling his hair. “One thing though; this has to be a secret, okay? I haven’t told anyone else, you’re the only person who knows. I’m not going to ask her for a few days now, so you need to keep the secret to yourself or it’ll spoil it.”

“I can keep a secret,” Robbie nodded, “It’s a really good secret too, so that makes it easier!”

“Good boy,” Maks smiled, “And I know it’ll be hard so if you need to talk about it, you can talk to me, or you can always tell Dasha because she won’t tell anyone!”

They both laughed and Robbie hugged Maks again before lying back in bed as Maks tucked the covers around him, kissing his forehead.

“Goodnight Buddy,” Maks whispered, turning out the beside lamp and heading for the door.

“Goodnight Daddy,” Robbie’s voice stopped him in his tracks, tears immediately pricking at his eyes; he couldn’t even bring himself to remind Robbie not to get ahead of himself. “I guess I got my wish from Santa after all!”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

While Robbie and Maks were having a life-changing discussion in the spare room, Meryl had taken the opportunity to have a quick shower to freshen up; tying her hair out of the way and letting herself relax under the spray after the busy day.   After a few minutes she hopped out, grabbing a towel and drying herself before opening her bag to search for what she’d been pondering in the shower.

The Christmas paper rustled and she gently unwrapped it, tossing the wrapping into the trash can and holding the items up so she could get a better look at them. Meryl had never really worn sexy lingerie and her first reaction at Maks’ parents’ house had been to feel completely mortified, but as she took a closer look at the gift, she couldn’t help but smile to herself as she imagined Maks’ reaction. Sofia had good taste, that was for sure, although Meryl couldn’t ever imagine her own grandmother buying her underwear to seduce her boyfriend with! Taking a deep breath she slipped the red flimsy chiffon of the babydoll over her head and pulled on the matching panties, turning to take a look at herself in the mirror and mentally reminding herself not to cringe. She was pleasantly surprised by what she saw, allowing herself a brief moment of self-indulgence to twirl, realising that she actually looked pretty good. Emboldened, she let her hair loose from the bun she’d put it in for the shower, running her fingers through it, aiming for sexily tousled, and then reapplied her makeup, searching for a deep red lipstick she’d bought a few months earlier but never had the courage to wear. Finally satisfied, she took one last glance in the mirror and headed back into the bedroom.

She wasn’t sure if it was because she’d had a couple of glasses of wine with dinner or because of the lingerie but she felt a strange sense of confidence come over her. Dimming the light on the wall, she hastily tidied up the clothes she’d been wearing before her shower and wondered what to do next. It might have been a little silly but she was in that kind of mood, so she climbed onto the bed, arranging herself in the middle in what she hoped was an alluring and not a ridiculous way. She was just about to second-guess herself and get up when she heard the click of Robbie’s door close, followed by the soft padding of Maks’ footsteps along the hallway. The door opened and she could see his face instantly light up as he took in the sight of her lying on her front on the bed, feet kicked up behind her, crossed at the ankles.

“Wow!” he breathed, pushing the door closed behind him and stalking towards her with a predatory look in his eyes.

She giggled and crawled to the edge of the bed to meet him, kneeling up and letting him take her hands, holding her arms out so he could get a better look at her.

“You look…” he seemed completely at a loss for words. “Remind me to send my Grandma some kind of thank you note!”

They both laughed and he pushed her back, crawling on top of her and moving them back to the top of the bed again.

“Merry Christmas Maks,” she whispered into his ear, following her words with a kiss to his jaw, then the corner of his mouth, until his self-control snapped and he captured her lips roughly, and she let her legs slip open to cradle his body against her hips.

His tongue begged entrance to her lips as he began to grind against her and she could feel her breathing begin to quicken as his hands slipped down her sides, playing with the soft fabric of the nightie before slipping his hand underneath to lay his palm flat against the smooth skin of her stomach.

“Has anyone ever told you red’s your colour?” he grinned, breaking the kiss for a moment to finger the hem of the nightie as Meryl looked up at him coyly.

“Well if this is the reaction it gets then maybe I’ll wear it more often,” she grinned, lifting her hands so that Maks could lift the slip up. He moved excruciatingly slowly; kissing each patch of newly revealed skin until he had it completely over her head, leaving her only in the panties. She in turn made quick work of his shirt and pants, tossing them aside onto the floor as he kicked off his shoes and socks.

He rolled them over so that she was on top of him, kissing down her neck and enjoying the look on her face as he sat up, moving her to straddle him; her head falling back, eyes closed as he paid careful attention to every last inch of the soft skin of her neck, then down her chest, until he took one nipple into his mouth; Meryl gasping and wriggling on his lap as he swirled his tongue around the area, pulling her hips more snugly against his own, feeling her grind against his hardness in response.

He reached a hand between them, dipping beneath the fabric of the tiny panties to slip between her folds; she was already wet and he could hear her moaning breathily as he rolled her clit between his finger and thumb, her breath hitching until he could tell she was close.

“No,” she protested, “I want you inside me.”

She didn’t have to ask twice. He could tell she was impatient and they had plenty of time to do it in a more leisurely fashion later. Flipping her over, he pinned her back against the bed; hooking his fingers to pull down her panties and letting her toe them off the end of the bed. She made to try to remove his own underwear but it was taking too long so he slid them off himself, dropping them on the floor and crawling back over her with a wolfish grin.

He ran his hands up the length of her body from her feet to her thighs, past her butt, skimming the edges of her breasts to lift her hands above her head, pinning them to the bed with one hand as his free hand reached back down between them to position himself at her entrance.

“You okay?” he checked, and she nodded vigorously, reaching up to pull his head down to meet hers in a blisteringly hot kiss as he thrust forward to join them, both of them groaning in relief at the sensation.

“I am now…” she replied, arching into him as he began to set a steady rhythm, reaching his forehead down to rest against hers, knowing that neither of them was going to last long.

“Love you, Baby…” he whispered, increasing the pace as his need for release drove him on. Beneath him he could feel she was close, her eyes closed, head thrown back, dark hair fanned out against the white pillow like an angel.

He could feel her begin to clench around him and he reached a hand down between them, rubbing her most sensitive area until she came apart; crying out suddenly, her head and shoulders arching off the bed.

“I’ve got you…” he whispered softly, holding her tightly as she came; her erratic breathing beginning to slow as she lolled her head against his shoulder. He could feel himself close to the edge, and increased his pace with a final few thrusts before crying out himself, emptying into her.

They both lay exhausted, sweaty and sated; Maks rolling to pull her on top of him while they recovered; Meryl’s hair even more authentically tousled than it had been earlier.

Meryl made a quick trip to the bathroom to clean up then returned, slipping into bed beside him where he’d moved under the sheets; cuddling up to his warmth and laying her head in the crook of his shoulder.

“I had a wonderful day,” she smiled up at him, reaching down to kiss the curve of the muscle of his shoulder. “Thank you.”

“Me too,” he whispered, kissing her forehead and smoothing her hair back over her shoulder. “Best Christmas ever…”

“Hopefully it’s just the first of many,” she smiled back at him.

And as he kissed her, cupping her face in his hands, he knew for certain that’s what he wanted it to be.


	12. Chapter 11 - And All is Not Right in the World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! First of all, again, HUGE thanks to all the lovely people who send me messages, likes, reblogs and stuff! Totally makes me happy! You guys all rock. Secondly…well, I’d just like to apologise now for this chapter. You’re all going to hate me!

Chapter 11 – And All is Not Right in the World

“Dude, there are literally a thousand rings here, how are we supposed to choose one?” Val’s voice sounded pained as he and Maks stared at the trays in the jewellery store; all spread out in one confusing array.

“That’s why I brought you, Val. You’re here to help me weed out the bad from the good ones!” Maks slapped his brother’s shoulder heartily with a grin.

“Okay, those ones look good; they’re the biggest!” Val declared, pointing the sales assistant towards one particular tray.

“So it’s a no to all of those,” Maks clarified for her, only to be met by an incredulous expression from his brother.

“What?”

“You’re not taking my advice?”

“I didn’t say you had good taste Val, I’m going along the lines that if you think it’s big and showy and awesome, then it’s about as far away from something that my classy, beautiful Meryl would love as is possible. She has taste, bro!”

Val looked less than impressed with his brother’s slight but continued to search anyway, pointing out a few other trays which the assistant helpfully shelved with a knowing smirk to Maks as she did so. Some of them were hideous; Maks shook his head thinking that whoever his future sister-in-law may be, she was going to need to share his brother’s questionable taste in jewellery.

While Val’s choices led to the cuts being made, Maks looked more carefully at some of the trays which he felt suited Meryl better. She was fragile, delicate, refined; she needed something which suited those traits and reflected her beauty. She wasn’t about gaudiness or showiness – Meryl needed something classic and elegant. His eyes scanned the rows of rings which seemed to blur into each other as he tried to imagine them on his girlfriend’s slim finger.

“Hey Val!” he called as he reached forward to pick up one in particular which had suddenly caught his eye. It was a slim band of white gold with a solitaire diamond; not too big but with a beautiful cut which caught the light at just the right angle.

“You found one, bro?”

“What do you think of this?” he held it open in his palm to his brother who nodded in appreciation.

“She’ll love it,” he agreed, bending forward to inspect the ring more closely. “Now you don’t have the ring as an excuse if she says no to your sorry ass!”

Maks rolled his eyes towards the assistant and she nodded, tilting her head to the side sympathetically as though she understood the trials siblings could provide at moments such as these.

“Do you know the size you’re looking for? We can have it resized if it’s not suitable.”

Maks gave her the details and realised with relief that the ring was the correct size for Meryl’s hand and he could take it right away. Whilst the assistant dealt with the paperwork, Val paced back and forth in front of the counters in his usual hyperactive way.

“So bro, have you decided when you’re gonna ask her?”

Maks nodded, “After the ball drops on New Year’s. It’s her birthday as well so it seems like a good time to do it. I guess I just feel like New Year, new start, you know?”

“You nervous?”

Maks laughed, “Hell yeah! What if I mess it up? What if I don’t make it special enough? I mean she deserves the most amazing proposal ever. I just want to get it right!”

“Dude, seriously, whatever you do will be right.   You know how much she loves you, right? The way you ask her isn’t as important as everyone makes out; once she’s said yes you’ll both be wrecks!”

“I’m not planning on crying, Val.”

His brother chuckled to himself and slapped him once more on the shoulder. “Just you keep telling yourself that, Maks. The second your girl says yes, you’ll be a blubbering mess!”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As soon as Maks arrived back in the house he was sure where he’d just been was written all over his face. Meryl and the kids were at the coffee table in the living room, making some sort of art project which seemed to involve a lot of glitter and glue, and he barely even noticed the mess. It reminded him of coming home the day after losing his virginity back in high school, feeling absolutely sure that his dad would guess what he’d been up to and wheedle it out of him.

“Wow! Lots of glitter!” he pulled himself together long enough to close the door and crouch next to them, leaning over to kiss Meryl and smoothing his hand through Dasha’s unruly dark hair.

“We’re making thank you cards!” Robbie explained, “Mommy said we should mail them to people who sent us presents for Christmas.”

“Good idea Mommy,” Maks smiled, impressed at Meryl’s thoughtfulness.

He was just taking his jacket off, about to sit down and join in the fun when he felt a buzz in his back pocket. He reached for his cell and took a look at the caller display. His face immediately fell.

“What?” Meryl asked.

“Svetlana,” he mouthed, trying not to let Robbie hear. He was just about to hit decline when Meryl motioned for him to answer it.

“We have to deal with her sooner rather than later,” she whispered, both of them standing up and leaving the kids to continue to wreak havoc at the table.

Reluctantly he answered the call, motioning for Meryl to stay with him. Somehow he felt better equipped to deal with whatever crap Svetlana was about to throw at him, with Meryl by his side; he seemed to make better decisions when she was around to keep him on an even keel.

“Hi Svetlana,” he greeted her.

“Hi Maks,” she replied, “Listen I can’t talk long but I was wondering if we could meet to talk about things. I want to discuss Daria.”

Meryl nodded encouragingly, able to hear every word. Maks motioned back and forth between the two of them, mouthing _will you come with me?_ But Meryl shook her head; this was between Maks and Svetlana and it wasn’t her place to get involved.

“Okay,” he agreed reluctantly, “How about next week?”

“I’m only in town until January 2nd,” she explained, “I was really hoping we could meet sooner rather than later.”

“Well Meryl and I are both working tomorrow so that’s no good, but I guess I could meet you during the day on New Year’s Eve if it’s not for long. We have plans in the evening.”

“That’s great,” Svetlana continued, “Could you bring Daria with you?”

Maks felt his heckles rise again, and he shook his head vehemently towards Meryl who gripped his hand, stroking his fingers comfortingly and nodding her agreement with him. She had his back.

“No, I’m not bringing her, Svetlana. We need to discuss this; you haven’t shown any interest in her, I’m not bringing her with me until we’ve sorted everything out; then I might consider it.”

There was a sudden lull in the conversation and Maks could almost hear the machinations of her mind whirring along the phone line. He was just ready for a fight when he heard a sigh instead.

“Okay, I understand. We can talk about it when we meet. Is two-thirty okay with you?”

“Yup, at the Starbucks on West Haven Street?” he suggested, hoping that the public yet casual location wouldn’t lead to any further drama.

“See you there Maks,” she agreed, and with a good amount of relief, he hung up.

He dropped his phone back in his pocket and Meryl’s arms immediately reached out to circle around him. Maks let his head fall against hers with a deep sigh.

“Why did she have to show up? I had it in my head that I wouldn’t have to deal with her again.”

She burrowed into his chest, squeezing his middle reassuringly. “I know, Babe. I guess at least if you deal with it now then we won’t always have the idea that she might come back hanging over us.”

“Why does she suddenly want to be involved in Dasha’s life though? It makes me so mad!” he pinched the bridge of his nose and she reached up to smooth the stress lines appearing on his forehead out. “I mean, I just want the four of us to be a family, Mer. Dasha sees you as her mom. I don’t want her to see her calling anyone but you Mommy; Svetlana coming back now is just going to confuse her. She’s getting to the age now that she notices who people are.”

Meryl bit her lip and looked up with a smile. “Did you mean that?”

“What?”

“The bit about Dasha calling me Mommy?”

She could immediately feel the tension drop out of his shoulders, “Of course I did Mer. Dasha loves you. You feel the same way about her that I do about Robbie. You guys are our family now.”

She reached up on tiptoe, running a hand down the stubble of his cheek before placing a soft kiss on his lips.

“I love you,” she whispered. “And whatever happens with Svetlana, it’s not going to change the way I feel about you or Dasha, okay?”

And with that, Maks truly relaxed. She just had a way of talking him down; he couldn’t imagine what he’d done to deserve her.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next day dawned and Maks reluctantly left the house to meet his ex, leaving Meryl and the kids happily playing with their Christmas gifts in the living room.

His relationship with Svetlana had ended in the worst possible way. They had been reasonably happy until she’d fallen pregnant. Maks, once the initial shock had worn off, had been over the moon, but Svetlana had done nothing but cry for the first few weeks. She and Maks had been on the cusp of winning serious titles internationally and the pregnancy put pay to every dream she had had as a small child growing up in the dreary Siberian city she’d eventually had the fortune to escape through dance. Maks had spent months trying to reassure her; it would be great, they would be a family, they could go back to dancing afterwards. But once the baby was born she didn’t feel the change she’d expected. When the nurse had handed her the little bundle of pink, she’d held her and smiled, letting Maks cry at the moment, and she’d felt nothing but emptiness inside. Everyone had told her that actually having the baby would change her feelings, but it didn’t; they’d all been wrong.

She tried, really she did. For the first few weeks she cooed and rocked, carried their baby to numerous friends’ homes to visit. It had almost been fun for a while; seeing people’s reactions, enjoying having their daughter to show off. But once the initial excitement had worn off she was hit again by the feeling that this was not the life she had wanted, and her resentment towards both Maks and Daria began to build; and build to toxic levels.

The fighting and arguing began, and when there wasn’t fighting and arguing there was the incessant crying; she never seemed attuned to what her baby needed and it always seemed to be crying. Maks always seemed to know how to settle her; it was just much easier to let him do it. Finally, after one argument too many, she’d had enough. She packed her bags and left the pair of them for good; heading out to LA in the hope she’d be able to recapture what she’d thought she’d lost when the little pink plus sign had shown up on the goddamn white stick.

She’d met Viktor almost immediately at a studio in LA and he’d begged her to audition for the new tv dance show “Dancing with the Stars,” with him. They’d been accepted immediately and Svetlana couldn’t believe how quickly her life fell back into the familiar rhythm of dancing and performing. Sure, it wasn’t winning top level competitions anymore, but dancing on national tv every week definitely made up for that; and the sex with Viktor wasn’t to be sneezed at either. Within a very short space of time Maks and Daria seemed like a bad nightmare that she’d woken up from, and her life moved in a completely different direction.

The season progressed as quickly as her relationship with Viktor did and by the semi-final she’d found herself with another ring on her finger. Almost as quickly though, the show was over and their direction together was unclear. She’d found herself frustrated by Viktor and his inability to commit to competing with her again. Maks had always been the leader when she’d been with him and she longed for that kind of stability again. Even if they’d argued he’d always made sure that their career had direction. As soon as that thought had taken root in her head, everything about Viktor just seemed to pale in comparison to Maks. She’d found herself thinking about him with increasing frequency and all the arguments and downtimes seemed to disappear from her head. Her memories were of the strong, driven man who knew how to make her happy.

She was going to get him back.

*~*~*~*~*~*~

It took Maks three tries before he eventually opened the door to the Starbucks, he’d looped the block several times by this point and knew that Svetlana had probably seen him through the window but he needed to feel calm enough to talk to her face to face. She was sitting, casually sipping an Americano at a table in the back, her immaculately groomed blonde hair curled to perfection; red lacquered fingernails tapping impatiently or nervously, he wasn’t sure which, on the table in front of her. She smiled and stood when she noticed him, and he waved over to her, placing a quick order for coffee before making his way over to the table.

“Thanks for coming,” she kissed him on the cheek, and he was hit by the scent of her perfume. To think he’d once loved that smell.

“I really don’t have a lot of time,” he protested, not completely truthfully. They weren’t due at the Volynets’ New Year’s party until later in the evening and Meryl had already said she’d get the kids ready so he didn’t need to rush.

“That’s fine,” she agreed. “I was kind of hoping you might have changed your mind about bringing Daria.”

He shook his head resolutely. “No, I didn’t. She’s at home with Meryl.”

Svetlana cast her eyes down to her coffee and took a sip. “I miss her Maks.”

“She’s nineteen months old, Svetlana, and you’ve only just realised that you miss her?”

She had the good grace to look ashamed. “I know. I know that I’ve been the worst mother I could possibly have been, but I want to fix things. I don’t want my little girl growing up thinking that her mother doesn’t love her.”

“She has Meryl to love her now,” he shrugged, “She doesn’t need you coming in to complicate things.”

A single tear slipped out down her cheeks, and she dabbed at it with the corner of her napkin.

“Meryl seems sweet,” she commented.

Maks nodded, “I don’t want to discuss Meryl with you.”

She raised an eyebrow, looking for a second more like the Svetlana he remembered, before regaining her previous demeanour. “Maks, I have to go back to LA for work but I would really appreciate it if you’d consider letting me see my daughter before I go.”

He could feel his blood beginning to boil; this was why he’d wanted Meryl to come with him, he’d have been calmer then. He took some covert deep breaths, getting his anger under control.

“I mean Maks, I think I’m being quite reasonable about this. I don’t want to have to get lawyers involved or anything; I mean you know how messy all that can get.”

His head shot up at the mention of the word _lawyers_ ; Maks had no doubt that Svetlana would do whatever she needed in order to have contact with Daria if that was what she desired. And Maks wasn’t stupid enough to think that courts would rule in favour of a father, even if he was the one who had cared for his daughter since her birth.

“I just want the chance to get to know my daughter, Maks. Just let me see her, I’ll not take long, I promise.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He could see Meryl’s face fall the minute they walked in the door. She masked it well but he was so attuned to every nuance of her beautiful expressions that he knew she wasn’t happy. Svetlana was cloyingly sweet; she entered meekly, apologising to Meryl for intruding and explaining her situation and that she had to fly back to LA and wouldn’t get another chance to see Daria until her work commitments died down. She stayed for about thirty minutes; playing with Dasha and talking to Robbie about Christmas. Robbie seemed confused as to who she was until she explained that she was Daria’s mommy. He’d opened his mouth to protest and Meryl had quickly distracted him, calling him out of the room to help her in the kitchen; letting Svetlana finish the rest of her visit with Daria and Maks alone.

Leaning against the kitchen unit watching Robbie doing battle with a colouring book, Meryl tried her best not to listen to the conversation going on in the living room. She could tell by her son’s furrowed brows that he’d been bothered by the sudden intrusion of Svetlana into their lives, especially when he’d found out who she was. It made her mad on his behalf; she didn’t want her son confused by things any further than he already was, this was what her mom had warned about when she’d first got involved with Maks.

But who was she kidding, that wasn’t all she was bothered by. From the door to the kitchen she could see the three of them sitting together; Svetlana holding Dasha on her lap, and they just looked so goddamn right together. Svetlana’s blonde glamour contrasted Maks’ dark brooding looks perfectly. Everything about her was different to Meryl and the longer she stood covertly assessing her looks, the more she felt she was coming up the loser. How could Maks possibly be attracted to her when he’d been used to this… goddess before?

Her thoughts were interrupted by Maks telling her that Svetlana was leaving. She thanked Meryl profusely, waved to Robbie, and then she was gone.

And suddenly nothing felt the same.

“I’m sorry…” Maks began, after closing the door and returning to the kitchen.

“Robbie, honey; go through to the living room and keep Dasha company just now, okay?” The little boy nodded compliantly, and Meryl clicked the door shut behind him.

“Meryl…”

“I can’t believe you brought her here, Maks!” Meryl couldn’t keep her composure together any longer. “We spoke about this before you left, and we’d both agreed!”

Maks reached a hand out to rest on her shoulder but she pulled away, “Meryl! I had to, she started talking about lawyers and stuff!”

“But Maks, the one thing we agreed was that we didn’t want her to confuse the kids. Not only did you bring her to see Dasha, but Robbie was here at the same time! Dasha isn’t old enough to understand yet, but Robbie is, did you not see his face?”

Maks ran a hand across his forehead in desperation. “I know Meryl, I know… I feel terrible about it.”

Silence fell between the two of them and Meryl let her hands drop to her side in defeat. Sensing she had calmed down, Maks took a step back towards her and she fell into his arms.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, “I know this isn’t your fault. It’s just hard.”

“I’m sorry for not keeping to what we’d agreed,” Maks leaned forwards to kiss her hair, “I’ll sort it out, I promise.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Meryl had changed three times before she was happy with her outfit for the New Year’s Eve party. It seemed like everything she’d put on suddenly didn’t sit right, or made her look too short, or just highlighted how flat-chested she was. Finally she’d settled on a short black dress Maks had encouraged her to buy when they’d been out shopping one day and she’d seen it in a window. At least she knew it had his approval.

The Volynets’ had thoughtfully set aside a room upstairs for Meryl and Maks to put the children down to sleep for the evening; they were already dressed in their pjs when they arrived and after quick hugs and kisses all round, they put the children to bed, leaving a baby monitor in the room to bring with them in case Dasha woke up.

Maks had noticed Val staring at him from the moment they’d walked in; he knew exactly what his brother was thinking – wondering about the proposal and how Maks was going to ask Meryl. The ring was burning a hole in his pocket but Maks felt completely torn. After their argument that day, and with both of them so riled up about what had happened with Svetlana, somehow it just didn’t feel like the timing was right.

“So buddy, all ready to pop the question?” Val threw an arm around his shoulder, whispering covertly as the buzz around the room continued.

Maks shook his head, “I need advice,” he replied, motioning for Val to follow him into the kitchen.

He regaled his brother with the whole sorry tale and Val shook his head. “Look Maks, you’ve gotta go with what feels right. If you feel like you still want to ask her tonight, then go for it, but it’s not like it’s now or never. You can always ask her another time, it’s not like she knows you have this planned!”

Maks nodded glumly. “I had the whole thing planned in my head, I just can’t believe Svetlana has managed to throw everything into chaos!”

“It’s up to you, Maks. Don’t hurry to make the decision and see how you feel when the time comes.”

The rest of the party passed without incident. Maks could feel Meryl relaxing as the evening wore on and as the group gathered together to count down the seconds until the new year, he knew he had to make a decision.

“Ten! Nine! Eight!”

He slipped his arms around Meryl’s waist and smiled as she looped her own around his neck.

“Seven, Six, Five!”

He knew the box was just inside his jacket pocket and it’d only take one swift move to bring it out.

“Four, Three, Two, One!”

“Happy New Year Maks!” Meryl smiled, and he pulled her closer, crushing her body against his as he captured her lips with his.

“Happy New Year, Baby…” he whispered, when they had broken away, “And Happy Birthday!”

“I love you,” she whispered, through all the melee of their friends blowing party hooters, and cheering in the new year.

“I love you too,” he leaned down to kiss her again, “This is going to be the best year for us…”

And as someone played Auld Lang Syne in the background, he slipped his arms around her and swayed them back and forth to the music, hoping against hope that what he’d just promised would be true.

The ring stayed firmly in his pocket.

 


	13. Chapter 12 - Kiss and Make Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, here it is – chapter 12 of Two Halves of a Whole. Apologies if there are errors in this but I literally just finished typing it and it’s nearly midnight and my brain is totally not in gear. Thank you so much to all the lovely people who leave me notes – particularly all the anons this week who have been amazing (and yes, begging for chapters clearly does work haha!). Huge thanks again to bekind2everyone for being my sounding board. I’ve had a lot of questions about how many more chapters there are in this fic and I think there are between 2 and 3. Saying that, I have planned what my next fic will be and I’m incredibly excited about it, so I can’t wait to get it started. Let me know what you think of the chapter, you’re all lovely!

Chapter 12 – Kiss and Make Up

After taking New Year’s Day off work, Meryl was back at the rink the next morning prepared to do battle. Nationals were only a week or so away and not only did she have Steven and Emma to prepare, but several of her senior teams had qualified; though she knew they weren’t in medal contention. Steven and Emma’s program had progressed well and they had won both Regionals and Sectionals, putting them in clear sight of a medal at Nationals. The Argentine Tango had been well received and Meryl knew that a place in the top three would guarantee them international slots on the Junior Grand Prix for the next season, with the aim of competing Senior at Nationals. The pressure was on all of them, and she constantly needed to remind herself that it was her job as the coach to remain calm, at least on the exterior, for the sake of her students.

By the end of the day she was exhausted. She’d managed to put her problems at home to the back of her mind for the duration of her working hours, but now they came back full force and she couldn’t help but worry as she drove first to Robbie’s after-school care club to pick him up, and then to Maks’ parents to pick up Dasha. Dasha seemed to be teething again and was particularly fussy; crying in her car seat as Meryl drove the three of them back to Maks’ place.

“Mommy, can we make pizzas for dinner?” Robbie asked hopefully as Meryl unloaded them from the car and lifted a wailing Dasha onto her hip.

“Honey, we have leftover turkey that I’m going to put together with some vegetables. Maybe another night, okay?”

“Please!” he begged, clasping his hands together and jumping up and down as she unlocked the door and kicked the snow off her boots.

“Robbie, I said no. Dasha’s not feeling so good and we’ve got your homework to do before bed as well.”

“It’s not fair!” Robbie complained, petulantly taking off his boots and stomping off down the hallway, leaving Meryl to count to five internally to calm herself down.

“Okay my little one, let’s see if we can find something to soothe those nasty gums of yours, okay?” she whispered to Dasha, as the little girl fisted her hands in Meryl’s long hair, continuing to display her displeasure. She quickly found the teething gel from the bathroom cabinet and applied it carefully, flopping down onto the couch with Dasha on her lap and relaxing as the baby cuddled into her shoulder, her wails receding to sobs, until her eyes began to droop as she snuggled contentedly against Meryl.

“Are you a tired girl?” Meryl asked, rhetorically, rocking Dasha back and forth in her arms as her long dark lashes finally fluttered shut against her cheeks. She carried her up the stairs and set her down in her crib, smoothing her dark hair back and dropping a quick kiss on her head before descending again to do battle with an indignant five year old.

Robbie was sat cross legged on the floor of the kitchen when she found him. He had one of Maks’ cook books in his hands and was perusing the pictures thoroughly; his little eyebrows furrowed in concentration. He looked up and glared as she entered.

“It’s still a no,” Meryl raised her eyebrows at him before he’d even had a chance to ask.

He huffed in response and theatrically slammed the cookbook shut, standing up as though to make his way out of the room.

“Hey!” Meryl called after him, and he turned back, guilt beginning to creep onto his face. “I don’t know why I’m suddenly getting this attitude from you, Robbie, but it’s going to stop now, do you understand me?”

He nodded, and his little eyes began to fill with tears. “I’m sorry Mommy!” he flung himself at her legs, hugging them tightly and she bent down to pick him up.

“Hey, that’s okay, Baby. Now, do you want to tell me about your day? Has something been bothering you?”

She sat them down at the kitchen table, with Robbie on her lap, his tears making damp patches on her shirt. He rubbed at his eyes and blew diligently when she handed him a tissue. He looked up at her, as though he had something he wanted to say, then stopped suddenly.

“What is it, Baby?”

“It’s nothing, I’m okay. I’m sorry I was mean to you about the pizzas.”

Meryl had the niggling feeling he wasn’t telling her about whatever was bothering him, but she knew her son well enough that he would eventually talk when he was ready. She gave him a kiss and a tight hug before letting him go and get his homework from his school bag as she began to prepare dinner. Maks was due back from the studio around six and then they’d all eat together. She’d barely started chopping vegetables when she was interrupted by a ring at the door.

Dropping the knife she’d been using and wiping her hands on a dishcloth she headed for the door, hoping that the ring hadn’t woken Dasha. She opened it to find the last person she wanted to see stood on the other side.

“Hi Meryl!” she greeted cheerfully, her eyes casting a quick glance up and down Meryl’s attire; her blue shirt still with Robbie’s tear stains, the dishcloth slung over her shoulder.

“Svetlana? I thought you were going back to LA today?”

“I’ve managed to postpone my flight another couple of days,” the blonde explained with a measured smile. “I just wondered if Maks was around.”

Meryl shook her head and glanced at her watch, “He’s still at work just now, he won’t be home ‘til around six.”

Svetlana looked disappointed, “Oh, that’s okay, I can come back another time…”

It took Meryl every bit of self-control she possessed not to roll her eyes and sigh, “Would you like to come in?” she offered, “He shouldn’t be very long.”

Svetlana smiled graciously and wiped the snow from her high-heeled boots at the door. Meryl took her coat and couldn’t help but notice how well dressed she was. She was wearing a dark red dress made of some expensive looking woollen fabric which seemed to hug her curves in all the right places; when she removed her black leather gloves and set them inside her obviously designer purse, Meryl caught sight of her perfectly manicured hands once again, and found herself hiding her own hands, which hadn’t seen a coat of nail polish in many weeks, under the dishcloth.

“Please come through,” she offered, leading Svetlana into the living room. “Can I get you anything; tea, coffee?”

“Some water would be great, thanks,” Svetlana nodded, settling back onto the couch as Meryl headed back into the kitchen and returned with a glass of water.

“You’ll have to excuse me, I’m in the middle of making dinner,” she explained.

“Oh that’s no problem, I’m so sorry to have interrupted you,” Svetlana apologised, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Meryl shook her head and tried to stop herself from grinding her teeth. It didn’t seem to matter how nice the woman was to her, she still rubbed her up the wrong way.

“You have a beautiful home,” Svetlana offered, gesturing around her at Maks’ tastefully decorated living room.

“Ahh, thanks, but actually I don’t live here,” Meryl admitted, “This is all Maks’ decorating.”

“Oh, the two of you don’t live together?” Svetlana appeared surprised.

“Not yet,” Meryl replied, remaining tight-lipped. She didn’t want to give away any more information than was necessary.

“I suppose people change!” Svetlana laughed, “Maks was always in such a rush to move on when we were together. I was surprised you weren’t engaged already; I just assumed you were living together.”

“How long were you together before you got engaged?” Meryl couldn’t help but ask.

Svetlana tilted her head as though trying to remember, “Oh, not long! I think it was only about three months. Maks always said that when you know, you know!”

Meryl bit her lip and Svetlana looked stricken, placing her hand over her heart.

“Oh, but I didn’t mean anything by that! I mean, it’s not to say that he’s not serious about you of course! As I said, people change!”

“No offence taken,” Meryl smiled, feeling her confidence drain even further. “Maks and I both know where we’re going; we’re very happy.”

“Of course you are!” nodded Svetlana, reaching out to pat Meryl’s hand somewhat patronisingly. “I mean, I think it’s great that you found each other. He’s a single dad, you’re a single mom. It seems like a fairytale; you couldn’t write it!”

“I guess so,” smiled Meryl, feeling anything but fairytale –like.

“And you must be such a great help to him,” Svetlana continued, “I mean he had to rely so much on his parents before and now he has you to help him with Dasha. It must be such a relief to have someone else to share the burden with.”

She glanced at Meryl with an assessing look on her face and Meryl found herself suddenly unable to maintain eye contact. Maybe she was right… maybe it all was a little too convenient?

“Anyway,” Svetlana interrupted her thoughts, “It’s getting late; I should be going.”

“Don’t you want to wait for Maks?”

She shook her head, “I’ve disrupted your dinner preparations enough, I’ll catch him another time. Give Daria a kiss for me.”

She stood up, retrieving her gloves from her purse once more and heading out towards the front door with Meryl in tow. “It’s been lovely chatting with you. I do hope we can be friends!”

“Of course,” Meryl stuttered, as she handed Svetlana her coat and opened the door for her to leave.

“I’ll be here for a few more days now, so I’ll call Maks to arrange seeing Daria again,” she smiled with a wave, “See you soon!”

And with that, Meryl was left astounded on the door step. Had that really just happened?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Meryl hadn’t meant to slam the door but it had happened anyway and she realised just a moment too late that it was likely to waken Dasha. She’d retrieved a wailing baby from her crib and continued cooking dinner, helping Robbie with his homework in the meantime while she eventually calmed Dasha enough to put her in her high chair at the kitchen table. By six-fifteen there was still no sign of Maks and she checked her phone to see if he’d texted that he’d be late. Robbie was obviously hungry and Dasha needed fed before bath time so she eventually gave up; giving the two children their dinner and eating along with them, setting a plate aside for Maks whenever he would arrive.

By six-thirty they’d finished eating and Meryl let Robbie watch cartoons while she gave Dasha a bath before bed. The little girl seemed much calmer now but was a little reluctant to go to sleep and Meryl had to sit with her for a while, finally deciding that rocking her to sleep on her lap was the best idea. She had finally fallen asleep by the time Meryl heard the front door open and the familiar patter of Robbie’s feet as he greeted Maks’ return.

When she arrived in the living room Robbie and Maks were on the couch, the little boy happily on Maks’ lap as they watched cartoons.

“Hey Babe,” he greeted her, looking up with a smile.

“You’re late,” she replied tersely, “I had dinner ready for six, couldn’t you have called?”

Straight away he could see that something was up, he stood up and lowered Robbie to the floor.

“Hey Buddy, you want to go and play for a bit before bed?” Robbie nodded, scampering off and leaving Maks and Meryl standing in the living room.

“Babe, I’m sorry, I should have called. I got caught up with one of the teams who were having a meltdown…”

He didn’t get the chance to finish what he was saying because she’d already turned on her heel and headed for the kitchen. He could hear the sound of her punching the digits of the microwave, and took a deep breath before following her.

“Svetlana came round,” she started, not turning away from the microwave as the plate of leftovers turned with an impending drone.

“What?” Now he could see the true reason behind her bad mood.

She was about to reply when the microwave dinged and she opened it, grabbing the plate and all but slamming it down on the table beside him.

“There,” she huffed, “It’ll probably taste like crap considering that’s the second time it’s been reheated.”

“Meryl!” he moved towards her, grabbing her shoulder to turn her round to face him, “What’s wrong? Talk to me!”

He could all but feel the waves of anger and hostility rolling off her as he rested his hand against her shoulder. She pursed her lips together and he could see her composure beginning to crumple.

“I’ll tell you what’s wrong,” she cried, her voice wavering. “You don’t even bother telling me you’re going to be late. I’m left here looking after the kids and making your dinner and I feel like maybe that’s all I’m good for! Maybe I’m just convenient; someone who’s around to help look after Daria and keep your house clean and have meals on the table for you when you get home!”

“Babe!” he couldn’t believe what he was hearing; surely she didn’t think that was how he felt about her.

“Look Maks,” she was crying by this point and he reached out, trying to put his arms around her but she was having none of it. “Maybe if it’s better if I don’t stay tonight…” and with that she rushed out of the kitchen, ascending the stairs quickly and trying to compose herself. He followed her up, taking the stairs two at a time, but she already had Robbie in hand by the time he’d reached the hallway landing.

“Where are we going, Mommy?” the little boy seemed confused by the whole thing and Maks realised that arguing with Meryl or trying to convince her to stay at this point was only going to upset him further.

“We’re just going back to our apartment for tonight,” Meryl explained with faux cheer, “Say goodnight to Maks.”

Maks crouched down to his level and kissed him on the cheek, noticing the look of puzzlement in his eyes. “Look after your mommy tonight, okay?” He instructed, ruffling his soft brown hair and standing back up, trying to catch Meryl’s eye.

“Babe…” he tried one more time, but she bit her lip and shook her head.

“I just… I’ll see you later.” And with that she made her way down the stairs with Robbie in hand and he was left with an empty house and the sound of her car disappearing into the distance.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Maks sat on his couch in silence until he realised that the light had completely faded and he was sitting in darkness. Exhausted, he ran a hand through his hair and contemplated for at least the millionth time that hour what the hell had just happened with Meryl. He’d never been in a relationship like this; it was everything he’d never known he’d needed, and now with the prospect of Meryl pulling away from him, he felt frantic, desperate to save it. The idea of going back to his life without her; it didn’t bear thinking about.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket, his finger poised ready to call her but pulled back at the last minute. It wasn’t enough. No. He needed to speak to her face to face.

Dasha seemed less than impressed to be woken out of her sleep.

“I’m sorry little one, but you’ll thank me for this in the long run,” he promised, kissing her forehead and wrapping her up against the cold before heading out into the frigid night air and strapping her into her car seat. It was nearly nine by the time he arrived at his parents’ house, telling them that he didn’t have time to explain but could they please take Dasha for the night.

Driving the familiar streets to Meryl’s apartment, Maks went over the permutations of how Meryl might react to him turning up. By the time he’d pulled up outside her apartment block, he’d worked himself into a frenzy and it took him several minutes of sitting in the car to calm himself down before he could even attempt pressing the buzzer. This was too important to mess up.

He stood, pacing the short few yards outside her door while he waited for her to answer, hoping that she wouldn’t ignore the call, realising it was him. His prayers were answered a few moments later when the door opened a crack and she stood inside, her arms folded across herself against the chill; dressed only in her pyjamas and a robe, hair loose around her shoulders, eyes obviously red from crying.

“Meryl…” all the things he’d planned on saying suddenly flew out of his head and they stood staring at each other like they’d never been introduced. He could feel his breath catch in his chest seeing her look so vulnerable, and knowing it was him who had caused it.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered and she broke down in tears, opening the door for him to step inside. As soon as he’d done so, he opened his arms to her and she fell into them, still sobbing as he closed the door behind them, lifting her off her feet and carrying her into the living room.

“Hey,hey… shhhhh…” he tried to quieten her down, sitting down on the couch and pulling her onto his lap, knowing that he’d at least won the first battle when she’d allowed him in the door. One thing was certain; whatever was wrong was way beyond him arriving home late for dinner, he just had to get to the bottom of it.

Finally her sobbing began to subside and he reached down to tilt her chin up so that she was looking at him.

“Mer, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I came home late and I didn’t call you. Please tell me what’s wrong; I can see this is more than just that. Things haven’t been right between us for a few days now.”

She took a deep breath and wiped her eyes against the sleeve of her robe until he reached over to the box of tissues on the coffee table and proffered them towards her.

“Since…since her,” she agreed.

He nodded; it had to figure that Svetlana would have something to do with it. “Babe, I know having her back here hasn’t been easy, but you have to know, I don’t care about her. Having her around doesn’t change the way I feel about you; I love you!”

She nodded meekly, scrunching the tissue in her hand and focusing intently on it.

“Babe, please tell me what you’re feeling, I need to know…”

She began to cry again and he rocked her back and forth, not really sure whether he was helping or not. Finally she seemed to get herself under control.

“I just… Maks, I look at her and I think how the hell could you be satisfied with me when you had _her_?!”

He honestly hadn’t been expecting that, and she didn’t give him the opportunity to reply; it was like a floodgate had opened and she was spilling her heart out to him.

“I mean, look at her Maks; she’s a freakin’ goddess! Tall, blonde, long legs, great boobs. How on earth would someone like you go from being with a woman like that to finding a skinny little brunette with no chest and weird eyes attractive?”

He made to answer but she shook her head and placed a finger to his lips.

“I know we get on well, but do you really love me, or is it convenient for you? I’ve got a kid, you’ve got a kid. But Maks, she’s beautiful and she’s the mother of your child! How can I ever compete with that?”

She took a deep breath, giving a little sob before looking back down at the tissue, which by this point she’d almost torn into oblivion.

“Because, there’s no competition!” Maks bent down to look her in the eye. “Because I love you, Meryl! I want you to take the kids out of the equation for a minute. I don’t love you just because you’re a mom and you’re great with Dasha; that’s just a bonus. I love you because you’re everything I could ever want. You’re beautiful; you don’t see it but you’re so beautiful, Meryl. You’re petite and fragile; you make me feel like a man and like it’s my job to protect you, I love that. Your eyes are the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen; I look into them and I see everything I’ve ever wanted staring back at me and it only takes one bat of your eyelashes and I’d do anything you ever asked of me. I love your lips and how they feel against mine when I kiss you, and how they look against your gorgeous white skin when you put that lipstick on that drives me wild. I love the feel of your hair against my chest when we wake up in the morning and I could spend hours just running my fingers through it. You are perfection to me.”

She was finally looking up at him, and he could see her biting her lip as he ranted.

“But that’s not it Meryl, you’re more than that. You’re intelligent and caring and you’ve made me see that I’m worthwhile as a man. Before I met you I felt like I’d failed; you value me, you rely on me, you make me strong. Meryl, you are everything to me and I love you so much. I can’t imagine spending my life without you; these past few months have been the best of my life and it’s all been because of you.”

He lifted her from his lap, placing her on her feet as he reached into his back pocket, relieved that he’d never removed the box he’d put there on New Year’s Eve. He was on his knee in front of her before she realised what was happening; her hands flying to her mouth in shock as he opened the little box in front of her.

“Meryl, I love you like I have never loved before and never will love again. Please let me show you how much I love you for the rest of our lives and say you’ll marry me?”

She stood staring at him in complete shock for a second before nodding as the tears continued to pour down her face.

“Is that a yes?”

“Yes!” she laughed, her face finally breaking into the most beautiful smile. He could feel tears come to his own eyes, and he wiped them away before reaching into the box to slip the ring onto her left hand, standing up and scooping her into his arms.

“I love you, I love you so much…” he whispered into her hair as he spun her round, finally lowering her to the ground so he could capture her lips with his.

“I love you too, Maks. I’m so sorry…”

“Sshh…” he laughed, “This isn’t time for sorry, okay?” he held her face between his hands, stroking the soft skin and smiling at her with wonder.

“My fiancée…” he smiled, slipping an arm around her waist to pick her up and pressing his lips to hers once more.

“Wow!” she breathed, completely swept away by the whole moment. “fiancée… that does have a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”

“Not as much as _wife_ does,” he smiled, “But all in good time, okay?”

She laughed, wrapping her legs around him as he carried her out of the living room, switching the light off on the way.

“Where’s Dasha?”

“Parents…” he whispered, stopping kissing her neck only momentarily to reply. “They’ve got her overnight…”

“Ohhh…” she sighed, and he wasn’t sure if it was in response to his answer or to his attention to her neck.

He carried her along the hallway to her bedroom and kicked the door gently open, closing it and pressing her back against the door.

“Bed…” she panted between kisses, letting him turn her around once more before lowering her gently back against the sheets.

It didn’t take them long to undress, such was their urgency.   Her robe was quickly discarded, followed by the tank top she’d been wearing and Maks’ shirt. Their hands fumbled with the fastenings of their pants, Maks making quick work of Meryl’s before finally kicking his own off to the foot of the bed. Finally he slipped his fingers into the sides of her panties and slid them slowly down her legs, removing his boxers before crawling back up over her again.

“I love you,” he whispered, smoothing one hand through her hair and tucking the strands behind her ear, the palm of his hand resting against the feather soft skin of her cheek.

“I love you too,” she answered, her eyes seeking his out and reflecting back everything he felt in this moment; love, excitement, passion, hope for the future.

He bent his head to kiss her once more, letting the hand against her cheek travel south, across her neck, down the valley between her breasts to flatten against the plane of her stomach. He could feel her twitch below him as he moved it across to her sides; knowing she was particularly sensitive there.

Already his body had responded to her and he could hear her moan beneath him as his hardness pressed against her.

“Maks…” she whispered, “I need you.”

He reached a hand down between them and realised she was more than ready for him. He knew they’d have time later to take things slowly, but just now after what had gone on that night, they both just needed each other right then and there.

He used his knee to gently prise her legs apart, his fingers slowly circling her clit until she was writhing beneath him.

“Please…” she moaned, reaching her own hand down to gently grasp his shaft; guiding it to her entrance. He didn’t need to be asked twice, pushing into her in one long thrust, both of them hissing as her body stretched to accommodate him.

They stilled for a moment, just looking deeply into the other’s eyes. Maks leaned down to press a soft kiss against her lips and she sighed in contentment, then he began to move. He set a slow rhythm at first, taking the time to pepper her neck with kisses, reaching a hand to palm her breast as she rolled her hips beneath him. Soon he was increasing the pace, feeling his own release coming closer and noticing the tell-tale signs in Meryl that hers was too. Her face flushed prettily and her breathing quickened as he thrust increasingly quickly and increasingly deep. He knew he wasn’t going to last much longer and he reached a hand down between them to roll against her clit once more, making her walls suddenly contract around him; her head thrown back as she gasped in ecstasy – taking him along for the ride as he spilled into her. Both of them rode out their orgasms, panting and shaking. Finally coming down Maks rolled onto his back, still buried within her, feeling himself slowly softening.

“I love you,” he whispered into her ear, tucking her head into the crook of his neck and tracing lazy circles on the soft skin of her back.

“I love you too,” she replied, reaching forward to kiss his chest.

He reached down to grab her hand, holding it up between them.

“I can’t believe you said yes,” he smiled, fingering the delicate ring now adorning her left hand, with wonder.

“We’re engaged…” she whispered, sounding like she couldn’t quite believe it herself.

“You’re going to be Mrs Chmerkovskiy!” he laughed.

She giggled, “We’re going to have to work on Robbie’s pronunciation then!”

“I don’t know,” he teased, “Chermakorskee has a good ring to it!”

“He’s going to be so excited,” Meryl smiled, hugging Maks close. “He’s been asking me about us getting married for months.”

Maks coughed nervously, “Uhh, he might not be as surprised as you think…”

“Maks…” she asked in a warning tone.

“Well…” he started, “I might have asked his permission a week or so ago.”

She rolled over until she was looking down at him, both hands pressed against his chest. “What?!”

“Well, you’re his mom! It seemed like the right thing to do!”

She laughed and bent down to kiss him again. “It was. It was really sweet of you, Maks.”

“So, do you want to tell him now or can you wait til the morning?”

She stood up, making her way towards the bathroom to clean up. “Hmm…” she turned back, leaning around the doorframe alluringly. “I think it can wait til tomorrow morning. There are other things I want to do with my fiancé before then…”

 


	14. Chapter 13 - Announcements

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Here’s the next chapter of Two Halves of a Whole. Not long to go now with this! Many thanks to all those who left comments on the last chapter. Next weekend is the start of a week long holiday from work for me so I’m really hoping I could get a double chapter out over the weekend and into the beginning of the week. No promises, but we’ll see how it goes!
> 
> Apologies to those who requested smut but it really didn’t fit this chapter. I hope you all still enjoy this anyway!

**Chapter 13 - Announcements**

Meryl had hardly been able to contain herself. She and Maks had barely got a wink of sleep that night; half due to excitement and half due to other nocturnal activities. By the time the dim morning light had begun to shine through the drapes they were both wide awake, as impatient as children on Christmas morning.

“He’s normally awake by now,” complained Maks, looking at the clock on Meryl’s nightstand.

“Typical that the one time we have exciting news he decides he’s going to stay in bed. Why can’t he do this on days when I want to sleep in?” Meryl laughed.

Maks raised his eyebrows at her mischievously, “We could always go and wake him up…”

They had both thrown the covers off and raced for the door before he’d even been able to finish his sentence. Tiptoeing down the hallway, Meryl gently opened her son’s door a crack and both of them entered, Maks wrapping an arm around Meryl’s shoulders from behind and resting his chin atop her head.

“He sleeps like you,” he whispered with a smile, “You always tuck yourself up in a little ball like that; it’s cute.”

Meryl scrunched her nose up at him in mock annoyance before kneeling down at her son’s beside, Maks crouching down beside her.

“Robbie…” she cooed softly, stroking his dark hair and bending down to press a kiss on his cheek. His little eyes began to flutter before scrunching shut against the light.

“Mommy?” he seemed confused, “Do I have school?”

“No,” she laughed, “But Maks came over and we wanted to talk to you about something.”

He reached up to rub his eyes sleepily and smiled when he realised Maks was beside her.

“Maks! I’m so glad you’re here!” he sat up suddenly, throwing his arms around Maks’ waist and hugging him fiercely.

“We’re sorry about last night, Buddy.”

“I don’t like you and Mommy fighting,” he looked between them with a scolding expression on his face. “Grown-ups aren’t supposed to fight, it’s not nice.”

“I know, Sweetie,” Meryl smiled. “But Maks came over once you were asleep and we made up and everything’s fine. Sometimes even grown-ups fall out; it doesn’t mean we don’t love each other though, okay?”

Robbie nodded, seemingly placated and Meryl looked at Maks for her next cue.

“So Robbie,” Maks began, slipping an arm around Meryl’s back. “We wanted to talk to you about something really important and we wanted you to be the first person we told.”

Robbie’s eyes lit up as though he already suspected what they were about to tell him.

“Last night Maks asked me if I would marry him, and I said yes,” Meryl continued, eyes shining bright with tears as she watched her little boy’s face light up like Christmas morning.

“You’re getting married?!” he cried, seeming to want to make absolutely sure he hadn’t misheard.

Meryl and Maks nodded; huge smiles gracing their faces.

“You’re getting married!” Robbie bounced up and threw his arms around both of them, completely overwhelmed. It was only when they’d finished their three-way hug that Meryl realised he was howling.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” She asked in horror; maybe they’d misread his enthusiasm.

“I don’t know!” he wailed, “I’m just so happy! Why am I crying? I’m happy!”

Meryl scooped him up in her arms and laughed, “Robbie, that’s okay; they’re happy tears! Sometimes when we want something really, really badly and then it comes true we cry; it’s okay!”

“It’s so silly!” Robbie wailed, half sniffing and half giggling as Maks and Meryl moved to sit on the edge of the bed, Maks drawing him onto his lap. Meryl reached for a tissue to mop up the flood and Maks kissed the top of his head as he got himself under control.

“You’re going to be my daddy!” Robbie whispered, looking up at him with huge, awestruck brown eyes. “I’m going to have a real daddy!”

“I’m going to be your daddy,” Maks repeated, “We’re going to be a family.”

Now it was Meryl’s turn to cry and her sudden sob broke the two boys out of their emotional moment.

“Mommy!” Robbie shook his head. “It’s okay, they’re happy tears, remember?” He reached over to hug her, raising his eyebrows before offering up his scrunched up tissue and the two adults laughed.

“What do you say we get dressed and go get Dasha from Mrs Chmerkovskiy’s?” Meryl suggested, “Maybe you could even break the news that you’re going to be her big brother!”

“Yeah!” Robbie almost squeaked with excitement, bouncing up from the bed and racing towards the bathroom, only to rush back, holding onto the door frame and poking his head around hopefully.

“Since it’s a special day can we maybe go and get pancakes?” he suggested coyly, “Please Mommy…” then he cast an uncertain look at Maks, “Please Daddy?”

Meryl dissolved into a blubbering wreck again; she had a feeling she was going to need a lot of tissues to get through the day.

*~*~*~*~*~*~

“So Robbie,” started Maks, looking in the rear-view mirror as he drove them across town to his parents’ house. “Have you thought about how you want to tell them yet?”

Robbie pressed his index finger thoughtfully against his lip and tilted his head in contemplation. “I think maybe I could tell them I’m going to be a big brother?” he suggested.

“No!” Meryl and Maks both cried in unison, before dissolving into giggles.

“Why not?” He seemed perplexed.

Maks chuckled, “Because, Buddy, everyone would think you were meaning that your mommy and I were having a baby.”

“Ohhhh…” he nodded slowly, realising his mistake. There was silence from the backseat for a few moments then his little voice piped up again. “Will you and Mommy have a baby once you get married?”

Meryl glanced sideways at Maks and he smirked back at her.

“Baby, we already have you and Dasha. But maybe a bit later on we might.” Meryl explained.

The answer seemed to placate him and he turned his attention to the view from the window as they drove the last few streets. Soon they were pulling up outside the Chmerkovskiy residence where a worried looking Larisa opened the door immediately, meeting them in the driveway.

“Oh thank goodness, I was so worried!” she hugged Maks close and ruffled Robbie’s hair. “What happened last night?”

“Long story, Mom,” Maks explained, “Let’s go inside, okay?”

Sasha sat on the floor in the living room with Dasha beside him, both of them laughing as she knocked down the blocks he had carefully stacked for her. He looked up as the four of them entered, relief flooding his face as he realised that all was well.

“So, are we going to get an explanation for last night?” he wagged a finger at Maks, who shook his head as Meryl laced her fingers through his.

“Let’s just say it was my fault,” Meryl replied sheepishly and Sasha shook his head, standing up and kissing her cheek affectionately.

“I refuse to believe that!” he laughed, “You’re an angel, and if there’s a problem here, I know exactly who to blame!”

They all chuckled and Meryl could see Robbie getting antsy out of the corner of her eye. They’d promised him he could break the news and she was pretty sure if they didn’t let him soon then he’d burst. She elbowed Maks and subtly brought his attention to Robbie, who by this point was dancing about from one foot to the other, casting hopeful gazes towards them both.

“So, we’re glad you’re both here,” Maks began, as they all sat down on the couches, “Because Robbie has some news to tell you, don’t you Buddy?”

Meryl could tell immediately from their mildly interested expressions that they’d thrown the Chmerkovskiys off by having Robbie deliver the news; they were probably expecting a cute update about his soccer team.

“Mommy and Maks are getting married!” he bounced to his feet, throwing his arms into the air dramatically.

Larisa gave a cry of delight and covered her mouth with her hands, tears immediately springing to her eyes. Sasha gave a whoop and stood up to congratulate them; pulling Meryl into a warm embrace and kissing both cheeks, before hugging his son and kissing him too.

“Oh this is wonderful news!” Larisa cried, hugging both of them at once as the tears continued. “I had been hoping for a while, but I had begun to wonder why it was taking so long!”

“Well, you got your wish!” teased Maks, and she swatted him away playfully, taking Meryl’s face into her hands and smothering her with kisses.

“I’m so happy my son has found you,” she whispered as the men continued the celebrations behind them. “You are a wonderful woman, and I’m so glad I’ll have you as a daughter. Not a daughter-in-law, okay? You are a daughter to me now.”

It was Meryl’s turn to cry now, and Larisa wiped the tears from her cheeks with the pads of her thumbs before embracing her tightly. Meryl squeezed her eyes tightly shut as the older woman embraced her; she had come to New Jersey thinking she’d be alone, but in actual fact, she’d found a whole new family.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

They’d almost phoned Meryl’s parents that night before Maks had suddenly been hit by an idea. Meryl was due to travel back to Detroit a few days later for US Nationals, so he suggested that he clear his schedule so he could join her, bringing the kids with them. They’d spent the next hour or so online; booking additional flights for the three of them and changing Meryl’s car rental for a larger one to accommodate the whole family.

“It’s so hard not calling to tell them,” Meryl complained, looking longingly at her phone. Maks shook his head and teasingly confiscated the object from her grasp.

“Robbie!” he called, “Your mommy nearly caved and called your grandma to tell her!”

The five year old’s head immediately appeared at the kitchen door, with a scornful expression on his face. “Mommy! We talked about this! It’s meant to be a surprise! It won’t be as much fun if we don’t go and tell them. I managed to keep it a secret from you and I’m only five so you should be able to keep a secret too!”

Maks nodded and scooped Robbie up into his arms, “So Buddy, what should be do with her phone?”

“Angry Birds!” the little boy exclaimed, grabbing the phone and wriggling from Maks’ grasp, before rushing off back to the living room to presumably ruin his eyesight playing games on the tiny screen.

“I don’t like it when you two gang up on me,” Meryl pouted, wrapping her arms around Maks’ waist from behind as he stirred the pasta on the stove, “I feel outnumbered around here sometimes.”

He chuckled and turned to drop a kiss atop her head. “That won’t last for long Babe; Dasha’s making plenty of noise already, give her some time and she can back you up.”

Meryl was just about to tease him with the prospect of mentioning that they’d need to tip the balance one way or the other by having a baby eventually, when the doorbell rang, interrupting the conversation. She left Maks at the stove, answering the door to find a smiling Svetlana at the other side.

“Hey Meryl,” she greeted her, “I hope I’ve not come at a bad time.”

Meryl mentally reminded herself to maintain her composure, smiling back whilst internally wishing she could slam the door and rid them of this woman forever. “Of course not; we’re about to have dinner but you’re very welcome to join us.”

“Oh, I won’t stay long,” Svetlana apologised, stepping inside and handing Meryl her coat. “I’m heading back to LA tomorrow; I can’t stay longer. I just wondered if I could see Daria before I leave?”

“Of course,” Meryl smiled through gritted teeth, leading Svetlana into the living room where the two children were playing, before calling through to the kitchen to tell Maks she’d arrived. He popped his head into the living room, giving Svetlana a somewhat strained welcome, before making his apologies and returning to cooking, leaving the two women and the children in the living room.

“Daria,” Svetlana cooed, sitting down on the couch and pulling a gift wrapped package from her bag. “Come to Mommy, I have a present for you!”

Dasha stood at the opposite side of the carpet, her little head turning towards Svetlana then Meryl, obviously confused at the woman beckoning towards her. When Svetlana stood up, scooping the little girl into her arms and setting her onto her lap, it was finally too much, and she began to wail, holding her arms out to Meryl.

“Oh Baby!” cried Svetlana, “It’s okay, look what I got you!” She bounced Dasha on her knee, trying to soothe her but her cries only increased and Meryl felt herself creeping to the edge of the couch; her hands itching to sweep her out of Svetlana’s arms and calm her down.

Svetlana seemed unperturbed by her daughter’s discomfort; instead unwrapping the gift to reveal a beautiful soft, plush teddy bear with a pink bow around its neck. She held the bear in front of the child, pushing it towards her before Dasha swatted her hands away, knocking the bear to the ground. Meryl scolded herself internally for wanting to high five Dasha, and bit back a smile. The crying continued to intensify and Meryl had finally had enough, standing up and holding her arms out to Dasha, who made little grabby fists towards her; obviously wanting to be back in familiar arms.

“Shh Dasha, it’s okay…” Meryl cooed soothingly, lifting her from a scowling Svetlana and relaxing now that the child was back in her arms. Dasha dropped her head against Meryl’s shoulder and her sobs began to diminish as she sat down on the couch again, the little girl now snuggled against her.

“Sorry,” Meryl shrugged, “She’s sometimes a little shy around strangers.”

It was only once she’d said it that she realised how it sounded and mentally chastised herself. Svetlana chose to ignore the comment anyway.

“She’ll get to know me soon,” she replied curtly, before silence engulfed the room.

“Robbie, honey, could you go help Maks and lay the table?” Meryl asked, interrupting Robbie from the game he’d been quietly playing in the corner, but sensing that Svetlana was about to cause trouble and not wanting her son to be involved.

“He’s a lovely boy,” Svetlana smiled, “You must be very proud.”

Meryl nodded her thanks, before picking the teddy bear up from the floor and showing it to Dasha once more. “Look at this!” she smiled, “A present for you, aren’t you a lucky girl?” Dasha grinned and swatted at the teddy a few times with vague interest before returning to sucking a strand of Meryl’s hair which appeared to be far more interesting.

“So how are things with Maks?” Svetlana enquired, doing her best to look nonchalant.

“Great,” replied Meryl, keeping her left hand hidden behind Dasha. She and Maks had already made the decision not to tell anyone else about the engagement until they could visit her parents and break the news to them.

Svetlana tilted her head to the side sympathetically. “I only ask because…” she paused thoughtfully. “Perhaps it’s not my place to say, but I always think us women should stick together.”

“What?” Meryl all but rolled her eyes. She was finding it hard to believe she’d at one stage felt threatened by this woman.

“It’s just that I wanted to warn you to be careful. I mean, Maks has never really been able to settle down in the past.”

“He was willing to settle down with you,” Meryl countered, “And we’re pretty settled ourselves, thank you very much.”

Svetlana shook her head and reached a hand out to smooth her hair, “Oh of course. I mean things have changed for him now. I only worry about you Meryl. I just don’t want to see him take advantage of you.”

“Take advantage of me?”

“I’m only looking out for you, Meryl. I just don’t want to see him use you to look after his child and then dump you when he finds someone else. I just get the feeling that with you he’s only after one thing. I mean he hasn’t given you any sort of commitment…”

“Maks!” Meryl interrupted her, calling him through from the kitchen. He appeared at the door immediately, a curious look on his face.

“What’s up, Babe?” he smiled uncomfortably; Svetlana’s presence enough to unsettle him.

“I just thought you’d be interested in the advice that Svetlana is giving me,” Meryl explained, her voice dripping with uncharacteristic sarcasm. “She’s worried that you’re taking advantage of me, and are just using me as a babysitter.”

Svetlana shook her head, “I didn’t say that exactly…”

Meryl chose to ignore her interruption and continued, “She’s also very concerned that you don’t seem to have made a commitment to me yet.”

She chose that moment to stand up, switching Dasha to her hip and holding up her left hand to flash her ring at Svetlana.

“Surprise!” She grinned, and beside her Maks held back a chuckle which almost threatened to escape.

“You’re engaged?!” Svetlana seemed genuinely shocked.

Maks smiled at Meryl and wrapped an arm around her waist. “I asked Meryl to marry me a couple of days ago and she said yes. We’ve been keeping it quiet because we want to surprise her parents when we visit them next week, but since you seem so interested in our relationship I guess you should know.”

“Are you serious?” Svetlana’s cool demeanour seemed to slip off and her eyes flashed as she turned her attention fully to Maks.

“Could we talk privately?” she requested, her hands fisting at her side.

Maks shook his head, “Anything you say to me you can say in front of Meryl, I’m not keeping any secrets from her.”

“Fine,” Svetlana set her mouth in a firm line. “If you want me to say this in front of her then I will; Maks I thought you would see sense about this! I’m back and I know we’ve had our disagreements in the past but we belong together!”

“We belong together?” Maks was completely incredulous, “Are you kidding me?”

“I wanted to talk to you alone about this but I need to go back to LA tonight. I’m saying that I think we should get back together again. I know things didn’t end well last time but that doesn’t mean you need to go running off to someone like her!” She cast a look of contempt towards Meryl and Meryl could feel Maks’ temper begin to flare.

“Get out…” he warned in a low voice. “Just get out of our house, right now…”

“But Maks!” Svetlana continued to protest, “I’m offering you a relationship! We can make a go of things again. I know I was stupid to leave before but I was mixed up. I’m willing to try again and if being with you means having Daria then so be it, I can do it; I can be a mom if I have to.”

It was at this point that Meryl wondered if Maks was going to physically remove her from the house. Instead he opened the door and herded her out of it into the hallway. Meryl stayed in the living room, listening to Svetlana’s protests as both she and Maks reverted into what Meryl was pretty sure were some serious Russian cuss words, before the front door slammed and silence fell.

“She’s gone,” Maks sighed, closing the living room door, leaning back against it, and sinking to the floor. Meryl made her way over to him, dropping down next to him and wrapping her arm around him; Dasha between them as they hugged.

“I’m sorry,” Maks apologised, kissing her softly and tucking her hair behind her ears, “I’m sorry you had to listen to all that crap.”

“I’m fine,” Meryl reassured him. “What did she say as she was leaving?”

Maks sighed, “Well, we won’t need to worry about her wanting access rights to Dasha, that’s for sure!”

“Oh, Baby…” Meryl sighed, leaning her head against his shoulder, “As much of a relief as that is, it makes me kind of sad to think she wouldn’t want to be this little one’s mommy.”

Maks reached a finger down to lift her chin up from his shoulder, gazing into her eyes.

“Meryl, there is only one person in this world I want my daughter calling Mommy, and it is NOT Svetlana. I want Dasha growing up knowing you as her mother. I want her to grow into a beautiful, strong, caring person just like you. Will you be her mom?”

Meryl felt tears spring to the back of her eyes, “Maks, you don’t know how much that means to me. Of course I’ll be Dasha’s mommy. I love her so much already, Maks!”

“I know you do,” he whispered, kissing both of his girls in turn, “That’s why you’re perfect for the job.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It wasn’t a long flight to Michigan but with two small children in tow, Meryl felt like they had done battle. They had at least emerged victorious; picking up their rental car easily enough and making the drive to her parents’ home just in time for the light to begin to fade and the stars to begin to twinkle. Meryl had purposely taken off her engagement ring; giving it back to Maks who had placed it carefully in its original box, so that they could surprise her parents later. She was glad they’d thought to do so because she could see her mother’s non-too subtle glance towards her left hand when they’d arrived at the house, followed by a sigh of disappointment or disapproval, Meryl wasn’t quite sure which.

Now at least they’d dropped all their luggage in the guest rooms upstairs and headed into the dining room to enjoy the delicious meal that Cheryl had prepared.   Paul seemed over the moon to have his daughter home and Robbie had wasted no time in filling in his Grandpa on all his activities and school news. Cheryl had regaled them with tales of Clay’s newest girlfriend and how he was getting on in his new job in Colorado, and then finally there was a lull in the conversation and Maks looked at Meryl who nodded her reassurance.

“Umm, well actually, it’s great to hear everyone’s news because Meryl and I have some news of our own,” he began, reaching into his back pocket for the ring box and retrieving it surreptitiously.

“Oh?” Cheryl’s face dropped and Meryl stifled a giggle, knowing from the expression on her mother’s face that she thought she’d got herself pregnant again.

Maks reached to his right to take Meryl’s hand and slid the box onto the table, opening it to a gasp from both her parents. “Well, I asked Meryl if she would do me the honour of becoming my wife, and she said yes!”

He took the ring out and slipped it back onto Meryl’s finger, dropping his head to place a soft kiss on her lips as both of her parents stood up, her mother crying before pulling her into a hug, her father shaking Maks’ hand and hugging him fiercely, before slipping his arms around his daughter and lifting her clear off the ground. They were genuinely delighted, even Cheryl, and Maks felt relief wash over him. Meryl had been right; telling them face to face had been the right thing to do.

“Oh I can’t believe it!” cried Cheryl, “It’s such wonderful news! Congratulations to both of you!” She wiped her eyes, finally getting her composure back.

“And what do you think, Robbie?” asked Paul, folding his hands seriously on the table as he turned to his grandson.

“I knew first!” Robbie gloated, “Maks asked me before he asked Mommy!” This was met with laughter from Cheryl and an approving nod from Paul. “I’m really happy because now Mommy and Maks are getting married I get to have a daddy too and Dasha is going to be my little sister!”

And just as soon as Cheryl’s composure had returned she found herself losing it again. They all laughed as she dissolved into tears and hugged her grandson.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“It seems so long ago that this was my bedroom, Mommy,” Robbie gazed in wonder around the room, clambering up onto the bed and helping Dasha, who was trying to get up but finding the bed too high for her little legs.

“Nearly eight months,” Meryl nodded, “That is a long time.”

“Can you and Maks read us a story before we go to sleep?” he begged. They had decided as a family that Robbie would continue to call Maks by his name until the wedding; they had come up with the idea of the ceremony representing not only the marriage between the two adults, but the time when they would fully commit to raising their children together as one unit. Robbie had liked the symbolism, as well as the fact it meant he got to have more of an important part in the whole thing.

“I guess we could have one story before bed time,” Meryl agreed, flopping down onto the bed and pulling Dasha onto her lap as Maks climbed on next to her; Robbie curling up under his arm.

Fifteen minutes later Cheryl decided to wish her grandson one last goodnight before she went to bed. She was just about to poke her head in the door of Robbie’s old room when she realised the door was open and listened to the sound of Maks’ voice reading from an unfamiliar book. Glancing through the crack in the door she could see the four of them, all cuddled up together on the bed; Dasha snoozing soundly in Meryl’s arms, Meryl herself fast asleep against Maks’ shoulder. Only the two boys remained awake, with Robbie rubbing his eyes sleepily as he curled against Maks’ side.

“Bedtime,” Maks whispered to him.

“One more chapter?”

“Nice try, Buddy,” Maks replied, lifting Dasha gently out of Meryl’s arms before placing her in the travel crib at the foot of the bed. Cheryl watched him drop a kiss on the baby’s head before turning back to Robbie who had crawled under the covers.

“You sleep well, Buddy, okay?” Maks bent back down to kiss Robbie’s cheek, giving the little boy one last hug, before making his way to the other side of the bed and slipping his hands under Meryl’s legs to scoop her into his arms.

“Goodnight Robbie,” he whispered.

“Night Maks, I love you…”

“Love you too,” he replied, making his way out of the room with Meryl still in his arms, and turning off the light on the nightstand as he left. Cheryl realised she needed to move quickly or he’d realise she’d been watching but she was already too late and by the time he’d appeared at the door she was still in the hallway.

“Thank you,” she whispered softly to him.

He seemed perplexed at her gratitude.

“You’ve made my daughter and my grandson so happy. I didn’t give you a chance the first time we met and I want you to know that I’m sorry about how I reacted.”

Maks shook his head, “There’s no need to apologise, Mrs Davis.”

“Yes there is,” she maintained, “And it’s Cheryl now, okay?”

He smiled and nodded, “Thanks Cheryl, goodnight…”

And they both smiled genuinely at each other as he opened the door to Meryl’s bedroom, carrying her inside, before the door closed behind him and she made her way to her own room, thanking God that her daughter seemed to have finally been given a chance at happiness.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	15. Chapter 14 - Two Become One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! First off, huge apologies that I didn’t get this finished on time. I knew it was going to be a long chapter because of what I had in the plan but it did turn into a bit of a mammoth writing task (nearly 7000 words eeek!) so it took me a little longer than usual. Also apologies that there isn’t a lot of smut in it, but I’m not really the best at writing it and if I’d had to put more smut scenes in then you’d probably have been waiting til next year until it was done!
> 
> I’d just like to say a massive thank you to all the people who have liked this fic, and particularly to those who have reblogged, commented, sent me messages. If you write you’ll understand how much it means to you to get a comment saying someone has enjoyed your work – it really does motivate me to continue. I checked earlier and the last fic that I actually completed was in 2006 so this has been amazing for me! I’d also like to dedicate this fic to my lovely friend Bekind2everyone. We started chatting a little while ago now and it’s her birthday today! Happy birthday to an awesome friend, I’m so glad I have you to freak out with and chat Maksyl/MnM with! Mwah!
> 
> I do have an epilogue planned for the end of this and then I have a new fic that I’m in the middle of planning. It’s called “Rebel Without a Cause,” but that’s all the clues you’re getting as to what it’s about! Look out for it soon! 
> 
> So without further ado, since this is officially the longest author’s note of all time – here’s the last full chapter of Two Halves of a Whole.

Chapter 14 – Two Become One.

 

The day dawned warm and sunny over the Davis residence and Meryl breathed a sigh of relief as she took a quick glance out of her bedroom window that morning to see the scene in the backyard taking shape. They had been fairly certain when they’d planned their wedding for July that they’d get good weather, but still, it was every bride’s prerogative to freak out about rain on her wedding day.

After a hectic morning, organising the last minute details and trying to keep Meryl and Maks away from each other in the house, it had finally been time to start getting ready. She had no bridesmaids, only Dasha as a little flower girl, so her bedroom was quiet, and she took a moment just to sit on her childhood bed in her robe, gazing at her wedding dress on the hanger, almost having to pinch herself that it was all really happening.

“You alright, honey?” Cheryl’s voice interrupted her thoughts as she quietly made her way into the room, herself finally dressed.

“Mom, you look lovely!” Meryl gasped, noticing the pale blue dress and jacket she and her mom had picked out together for the occasion.

Cheryl closed the door and reached for the dress on the hanger, “And now it’s your turn,” she moved towards Meryl and laid the dress out on the bed. Meryl had already had her hair and makeup done for the occasion, so Cheryl lifted the dress from the hanger and helped her step carefully into it, slipping the delicate lace bodice up Meryl’s body and beginning the laborious task of fastening the back for her.

“There,” she declared as she fastened the last tiny button, “Turn around so I can get a good look at you.”

Meryl obliged, the soft chiffon layers of the dress’ skirt swishing out around her ankles as she did so, and immediately Cheryl’s hands flew to her face; one over her mouth, the other fanning back tears.

“My baby…” she sniffed, reaching out to take Meryl’s hands, before rubbing her cheek affectionately. “You are so beautiful!”

Meryl reached out, pulling her mother into a tight hug. “Thank you Mom, for everything…”

“I’m so proud of you Meryl,” Cheryl replied, pulling back to look at her daughter. “I know that I wasn’t sure about this at first, but I need to have more faith in your judgement. Maks is a wonderful man and you’re going to have an amazing marriage. I’m just so happy you both found each other.”

Meryl felt her eyes begin to mist up and giggled, “Look at us both,” she laughed. “We said we weren’t going to be typical women and cry!”

Cheryl waved her off jokingly, “I’m the mother of the bride; it’s my job to cry!”

After fixing the last few details of Meryl’s jewellery and taking the flowers from the box the florist had delivered that morning, there was a knock at the door and Paul appeared with Dasha in one arm and Robbie by his side.

“Knock, knock! Is the bride ready?” he asked, pushing open the door to get his first look at his daughter all dressed for her wedding. Meryl could see him take a deep breath as he took in her appearance, swallowing back his emotion. Her dad had never been one for vocal displays of sentimentality, but she knew from his expression how he was feeling.

“Meryl, you look stunning…” he finally spoke, setting Dasha down on the floor and making his way over to his daughter to hug her. “You’re always the most beautiful girl in the world in my eyes, but today you look even more so.”

She reached up to kiss him on the cheek, before casting her eyes over at the two children. Robbie stood proudly in his little suit; he’d insisted on wearing one that matched Maks and Val’s, and he looked beyond adorable. Beside him, Dasha was as cute as a button in a little white flower girl dress; her, now much longer, hair adorned with a pretty hair band.

“Don’t you two look beautiful?!” Meryl gushed, moving over to get a closer look at them.

“Handsome, Mommy! Girls are beautiful but boys are handsome!” Robbie protested, screwing his eyes shut as Meryl tried to fix the one lock of his hair which steadfastly refused to sit alongside the others.

“Pretty!” Dasha almost whispered, reverently reaching out to touch the soft lace overlay of Meryl’s dress with her little fingers. Meryl smiled and reached down to pick her up, placing a kiss on the little girl’s cheek and getting one back in return. She couldn’t believe the difference in Dasha in just six months; she was talking much more now, in fact at times they had trouble getting her to be quiet, and her little personality was beginning to shine through.

“Do you remember your important job today, Baby?” she asked, receiving a serious look and a nod from her soon to be daughter.

“Petals,” Dasha nodded.

“And Robbie, you remember your job?” Cheryl checked.

“Keep Dasha beside me and make sure she doesn’t run!” he grinned, “She won’t, she’s a good girl, aren’t you Dashy?”

He was met by a resolute nod from Dasha as Meryl put her back on the floor and lifted her flowers once more.

“So are we all ready?” Paul asked, “I’d imagine Maks will be getting pretty nervous by now!”

They all descended the stairs and headed towards the back of the house, where Cheryl and the children left first. The Davises lived in a, not huge, but fairly large, house on the edge of a small lake; their back yard rolling down to its shores, and providing a perfect backdrop for the wedding. Cheryl had organised the whole thing, from the flowers and matching ribbons on the trees to the elegant tie-backs on the guests’ chairs, she had done a fabulous job; and the sun sparkling in reflection from the lake only helped make the whole scene even more stunning. Neither Maks nor Meryl was overly religious and with family being so important to them both, it had seemed like the perfect location for them to exchange their vows.

From his position at the front of the aisle Maks craned his neck, trying to get a look back at the house to see if they had appeared yet. Beside him, Val laughed and laid a calming hand on his shoulder.

“Relax Bro, she’ll just be having extra crying time with her mom!”

The door to the house opened and Cheryl appeared; Clay waiting at the door to escort his mother to her seat, as the music they had chosen began to softly play. Later Maks would realise he had no idea what Cheryl was even wearing; he was so focused on waiting for Meryl. They were soon followed by Dasha and Robbie and there was an audible _“aww”_ from the guests as Dasha toddled along tossing her little flower petals as they made their way up the aisle; Robbie holding her hand gently, the pride on his face clearly visible. Maks bent down to them as they reached the front, patting Robbie’s shoulder and letting Dasha reach her little arms around his shoulders to give him a big hug. Val showed them both where to sit and Maks turned his attention back to the house.

Then she appeared.

He hadn’t known what to imagine but any expectation that he’d had was blown away within a second of looking at her. He could have sworn she floated down the aisle on her father’s arm. The dress was uniquely Meryl; elegant and delicate – highlighting her fragile beauty; a soft ivory shade of lace with a gently flowing skirt that swirled around her feet as she walked. Her hair was loose and fell in soft chocolate waves down her back, a few strands pinned back. He had never seen anything more beautiful in all his life and in that instant he fell even more in love with her; something he’d never imagined possible. She caught his gaze and held it, smiling shyly at him as he gazed back in wonder towards her.

He could feel himself immediately misting up, though unwilling to break his gaze; instead Val elbowed him and shoved a tissue in his direction, which he hastily used and pocketed. By this point Meryl and Paul had reached the top of the aisle and Paul was hugging her, before finally taking her hand and passing it over to Maks.

The music fell silent and he leaned over to whisper to her. “You look so beautiful, I have no words…”

She smiled up at him from beneath her lashes, and he held both her hands in his; turning her to face him as the celebrant began the introductions.

He finally felt himself relax as he held her hands between them, rubbing his thumbs over her knuckles and gazing into her eyes as the celebrant continued. If he was being perfectly honest, a lot of the words were washing over him, so focused was he on his bride.

By the time it came to exchanging vows they were both relaxed and happy. They’d each written their own; their personalities reflected in the way they’d chosen to express their feelings for each other. Meryl’s had their guests reaching for their tissues as she promised herself to him, using some quotes from a poem she’d found particularly reflective of their relationship. Maks by contrast had just poured out his heart in his own inimitable way; earning some laughs as well as tears from their friends and family. Finally they had both promised to be parents to each other’s children, reaching for the kids to stand between them; and by that point Larisa and Sofia Chmerkovskiy were completely gone, Sasha chuckling and passing more tissues as he sat between the two women.

The children soon resumed their places in their seats and Meryl and Maks exchanged rings; Val producing them on cue from his pocket much to Meryl’s relief. Soon all that was left was down to the celebrant.

“By the power vested in me by the state of Michigan, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife!”

Meryl giggled, and Maks sighed.

“Well, go on! You may kiss your bride!”

He didn’t need to be told twice. Slipping his arms around her slim waist, he bent down to press his lips to hers, only vaguely hearing the clapping and cheering from their family and friends as he deepened the kiss. By the time they broke apart, Meryl was blushing prettily and everyone was on their feet; their family coming forward to hug them both.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Mr and Mrs Chmerkovskiy!”

*~*~*~*~*~*~

They had enjoyed a delicious meal and been entertained by the various speeches and toasts, and now the band they’d hired had set up by the dancefloor and Meryl and Maks had been called to the centre of it for their first dance. Everyone stood around it expectantly and Meryl laughed as Val called,

“No pressure Maks!” on noticing the number of cellphones out ready to video the moment.

Of course he’d given her lessons; not that she’d needed much help. But she knew that everyone expected them to be able to dance really well because it was his job and because she’d skated for so long, so she’d insisted that swaying in the middle of the dancefloor wasn’t going to cut it. Instead he’d trained her to follow him and as the song they’d chosen played, he guided her around the floor in a romantic slow foxtrot; nothing flashy, because the moment was all about them and he just wanted to feel her in his arms.

After a minute or so he switched to swaying, such was the temptation just to pull her closer to him. He reached down and captured her lips with his once more; he’d been told by his father that he should kiss his bride as often as he could on his wedding day because those were the moments he’d cherish the most; and Sasha was most certainly not wrong.

“I love you,” he whispered softly, cradling her face in his hands as she rested hers delicately against his chest. He was vaguely aware that everyone was watching them, but frankly he didn’t care; he just wanted to kiss her over and over, such were the feelings he was having that day.

Soon the band called up Dasha and Robbie to join them and the guests cooed as the children ran to their parents; Maks scooping up Robbie and Meryl lifting Dasha into her arms; the little family dancing together as the two children beamed with joy.

“Are you having fun, kids?” Maks asked, as they all swayed together, and Robbie nodded.

“I’m having so much fun Daddy!” he exclaimed, his little face lighting up as he finally got his wish to call Maks by his new title. Maks could see tears pooling in Meryl’s eyes, and reached to pass her the tissue Val had given him earlier, before pulling all of them into a tight hug.

“This is us a family now,” he told them seriously.

“And family sticks together!” Robbie, finished for him, making Meryl smile.

“You’re already sounding like your daddy,” she laughed, “But yes, you’re right Baby; family sticks together.”

*~*~*~*~

The rest of the evening passed all too quickly. Meryl had never had a better day in her life. She felt like she’d danced with everyone at the wedding; though she’d made sure to save several of the slower dances for her new husband, and had quickly grown used to the idea of his relatives calling for them to kiss; her embarrassment subsiding quickly; it was too addictive feeling his lips against hers and knowing that she was his wife; she could kiss him anytime she wanted, in front of everyone and it felt wonderful.

Finally it was time to say goodbye to their guests. Meryl had thrown her bouquet, which Nicole had caught (not that she had purposely aimed it in that direction or anything…) and people had begun giving their good wishes and making their way home.

Maks and Meryl were leaving the next morning for their honeymoon and so had decided that the best option was to stay overnight with her parents who would take them to the airport the next day. They had been overjoyed when Cheryl and Paul had offered to look after the two children; and they felt it was an important time for the Davises to begin to bond with Dasha.

“Now, you two, I don’t want you worried about anything tonight,” Cheryl explained, leading them back into the house. “You’re in the guest room at the far end of the hallway and the kids have strict instructions not to go anywhere near you.”

Meryl laughed and Maks coughed a little uncomfortably. He didn’t relish the thought that his mother-in-law knew what they’d be getting up to. But the second they entered the room, any embarrassment faded away and he just wanted to thank Cheryl. She had made the room up beautifully; it would have put any nice hotel to shame. An ice bucket with champagne and two glasses sat on the dresser, two new fluffy white bathrobes hung on the back of the ensuite door, and various candles burned around the room; the flickering light casting a soft glow onto Meryl’s face.

He grinned at her and swept her into his arms to carry her inside.

“Maks!” she squealed softly, taken by surprise.

“Hey, I know we’re not at home, but this is as close to the threshold as we’re going to get so I’m doing the whole lifting thing!” he laughed, setting her softly back on her feet and closing the door behind them.

He bent to kiss her, letting her wrap her arms loosely around his neck, before pulling back so that he could just gaze into her eyes.

“Well, my beautiful wife. I’ve finally got you all to myself!”

“I love hearing you call me that,” she admitted with a grin, “I’m your wife!”

“And I’m your husband,” he smiled back at her. “Mr and Mrs Chmerkovskiy!”

“Well Mrs Chmerkovskiy,” he raised his eyebrows, reaching the hand around her back up to the top of her dress to begin to undo the long row of buttons, “I think there’s only one thing left to do to complete this perfect day…”

“Hmm, Mr Chmerkovskiy, I have no idea what you could possibly mean…” she chuckled softly, her laugh turning to a soft moan as he swept her hair to the side to gain access to the smooth alabaster skin of her neck.

And so began their first night as husband and wife.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning the whole family was awake to take them to the airport. Cheryl and Paul had already got the kids up and ready and all Meryl and Maks had to do was sleepily make their way into the Davis’ car and let Paul drive them to the airport. Both of them were naturally a little uneasy about leaving the kids for a full week but Cheryl tried to calm their fears.

“Are you sure you have the contact number for the hotel?” Meryl asked for roughly the thousandth time that morning as they made their way from the check in counter to the security gates.

“Yes, Honey, and we can always check online. Plus you both have your cell phones with you.”

“Did I leave you Dasha’s medicine in case she gets earache again?” Maks added, looking just as nervous as Meryl.

Cheryl reached out to hug him, “Yes, I’ve put it in the medicine cabinet at home and I’m sure she won’t need it.”

Maks looked at Meryl who nodded back at him reassuringly.

“Well, I guess it’s time for us to go then,” he added, picking up Dasha and hugging her fiercely. “You be good for Mr and Mrs Da… Grandma and Grandpa,” he corrected himself suddenly, earning a grin from Robbie.

Dasha nodded and kissed his cheek, holding her arms out for a cuddle from Meryl before Paul lifted her into his arms. She’d already become quite attached to her new Grandpa and Maks felt better knowing that she seemed happy to be with them.

“You look after Dasha, okay?” Meryl bent down to hug Robbie, wiping a tear away. She’d never left him for so long before.

“I will Mommy! Have fun in Hawaii!”

“We will,” Maks gave him a squeeze, lifting him up and ruffling his hair before setting him back down and taking Meryl’s carry-on bag for her.

They began to head off towards the security gate and Paul held up Dasha’s hand to wave goodbye to them.

“Bye bye Daddy!” she called out, then after Paul had whispered in her ear, “Bye bye Mama!”

_Mama_ , for the first time.

By the time they’d reached the security gate, Meryl was a puddle of tears.

*~*~*~*~*~*~

After two connecting flights they finally arrived in Hawaii and checked into their hotel, feeling exhausted. Maks had insisted that organising the honeymoon was the groom’s job and Meryl had to agree on reaching their room that he’d more than exceeded her expectations. The hotel was private without being ridiculously expensive, and their room was set in a little group of cute bungalows which sat at the edge of the hotel’s section of the beach.

Maks unlocked the door and led Meryl inside. Dusk was already beginning to fall and he didn’t bother to turn on the light, just closing the door behind them and leading her through the room and towards the large patio doors which led out onto their little beach terrace.

“Oh Maks, it’s beautiful!” Meryl cried, “We can sit and watch the sunset!”

He slid the doors open and they stepped outside, Maks wrapping his arms around her waist from behind and resting his chin atop her head.

“I can’t believe I get a whole week here alone with you, Mrs Chmerkovskiy,” he admitted, bending down to kiss her as they swayed back and forth.

“It’s perfect,” Meryl agreed, “Nobody to interrupt us; time to do whatever we want…” She raised her eyebrow at him suggestively and he laughed.

“Yup, definitely plenty of time for _that_!” he declared. “What do you say to a walk along the beach?”

“I’d say that sounds amazing,” she smiled, turning in his arms and taking his hand. They closed the doors behind them and made their way out onto the beach. Meryl kicked off her shoes and carried them in her free hand, delighting in the feel of the sugar-soft sand between her toes.

The beach was deserted and Meryl swung their hands between them happily as they made their way down to the water’s edge. They meandered through the surf for a while, the water warm as it cascaded across their feet in waves.

“You know what I’ve never done,” Meryl began, stopping to face Maks and wrapping her arms around his neck.

“What?” he raised an eyebrow at her.

“Well…” she continued, coyly. “There’s nobody here, and I’ve never swum in the ocean… you know?”

Maks caught on to her meaning straight away, “Ohh… you mean skinny dipping?”

He put a finger to the corner of his mouth teasingly as though considering the possibility, he was just about to add some additional thoughts when he felt Meryl’s small hands wrestling at his belt, slipping her hands under the edge of his t-shirt and beginning to drag it over his head.

“I guess you’re not taking no for an answer,” he laughed, helping her remove her own shirt, glancing around them again to check they really were alone. “You sure our clothes will be okay here?”

She ignored his hesitancy, and by the time he’d scanned the beach once more he realised there was a pile of her clothes at his feet and all he could make out was the silhouette of her body against the setting sun as she made her way into the ocean.

He had the rest of his clothes off in under ten seconds.

*~*~*~*~

The Hawaiian night sky twinkled with stars like diamonds against an inky black backdrop.

Meryl’s legs were wrapped around his waist and he was standing pretty comfortably on the ocean floor, as he supported her with one hand, his other hand drawing lazy circles against the wet skin of her back.

“Well, that was something new…” he grinned wolfishly towards her, earning him a quick peck in reward.

“I’m sure that wasn’t what my mom meant when she told me to be careful in the water,” Meryl giggled.

Maks chuckled in response and bent to kiss her, his tongue dancing against hers as the waves lapped gently at their naked bodies, Meryl’s breasts pressed slickly against his own chest. It had only been a few minutes but he could feel himself getting hard again, especially when Meryl shivered in his arms.

“How about we go get dry and warm up a bit,” he suggested, beginning to walk them out of the water. She nodded, leaning her head lazily against his shoulder as he carried her, setting her gently back on her feet on the sand before each of them grabbed their clothes, taking a quick look left and right whilst they scurried up the beach. Reaching the patio doors of their room and collapsing with laughter when they reached safety.

“D’you want to stay out here for a bit?” he asked, “I think I saw a blanket in there.”

She nodded and he headed inside to grab the blanket. When he returned, Meryl had snuggled into the corner of the two-seater on their little terrace, and he flopped down beside her, spreading the blanket over them both and pulling her onto his lap. She settled into the space between his legs and lay back against his chest, leaning her head into the crook of his neck.

“This is perfect Maks, thank you so much for organising it all; you’ve done an amazing job.”

“Thanks Babe,” he smiled, “I really hoped you’d like it.”

“Well I do, you get major husband points for this!” she teased.

He smirked and raised an eyebrow, “Oh, so how do I cash in those points?”

“Oh, you want to cash them in already?” she laughed, “Impatient one, aren’t we?”

He nodded enthusiastically, sitting up and turning her in his arms until she was straddling his lap. Immediately she could feel his arousal beneath her and she gasped as he ground against her centre. His eyes grew dark and she bit her lip in anticipation of what was to come. She’d wondered early on in their relationship if they’d always have the physical connection they’d enjoyed at first; but as the months went on she realised it was only growing in intensity rather than fading over time. She had lost her inhibitions with him and he’d given her the confidence to initiate as well as respond; knowing that this amazing man found her sexy had been one of the greatest gifts he could ever have given her.

Meryl couldn’t help but groan as Maks attached himself to her neck; kissing and sucking and probably leaving a mark, not that she cared. She felt the blanket covering them drop to her waist, leaving it there so she could sit up, kneeling either side of his legs and letting her head fall back as he continued his ministrations to her neck. Earlier in the water had been somewhat frenzied but this was relaxed and tender; they had time to enjoy making love without worrying about interruptions.

Maks dropped his head further to take one of her nipples in his mouth, swirling his tongue around and sucking until he heard her sharp intake of breath and a gasp of his names from her lips. He ghosted a hand down the sensitive skin of her sides, knowing that she’d always been particularly sensitive there, and letting out a groan himself as she wriggled atop him; grinding on his hardness. He picked up the pace just a little, cupping her ass and slipping the other hand down between her legs. She was still ready for him and he teased her quickly, earning himself a messy kiss and a breathy moan as he positioned himself at her entrance.

She controlled her descent onto him and they both groaned as they became one. Maks wrapped one arm around her back and the other wound through her long tresses as she dropped her head forward onto his shoulder.

“Your pace, Baby…” he whispered and she braced herself against his shoulders as she began to move atop him. He could tell from the noises she was making that she was enjoying the change in angle as much as he was and he moved his hips beneath her, matching the pace she had set.

“I love you,” she whispered, lifting her head from his shoulder to look deep into his eyes as they moved together. Her eyes were heavy and dark with desire and he could feel the soft puffs of her breath against his cheek as her breathing rapidly quickened. The gentle breeze of the Hawaiian night air was all around their naked bodies and he wondered if anyone anywhere had ever made love so perfectly before; he was pretty sure they hadn’t.

She reached forward to capture his lips in a bruising kiss and he immediately plundered her mouth with his tongue. By this point he was an expert in what she liked and their tongues did battle as she rocked back and forth above him. He could feel his own release beginning to emerge in the distance and he could tell she wasn’t far away either; her soft moans had that distinctive quality which hinted to him that she was close. Gently, he slipped a hand between them and found the little nub he was looking for; rolling it between his fingers and earning at first a deep hiss from his wife, then a scream as he gave one final thrust, and she came apart in his arms. He knew he was on the brink himself and gave a few more before crying out beneath her; feeling her shudder in his arms, gripping onto him for dear life as he felt wave after wave travelling through his own body.

They fell silent, still clinging to each other as they recovered their breathing. He reached up to smooth her hair back from her face; loving her flushed, contented expression as she gazed down at him from beneath tired, half-lidded eyes. He didn’t think she’d ever looked more gorgeous to him than she did at that moment.

“You’re the most beautiful woman in the world,” he whispered to her, “How on earth did I get so lucky?”

She smiled, reaching down to kiss him tenderly, resting her palm against his cheek and reflecting the happiness he felt back towards him.

“I think we both got lucky,” she agreed, “I have the most amazing husband in the world and we have two beautiful children. I don’t think life could get any more perfect than this.”

He chuckled, slowly pulling out of her as she knelt up so she could retrieve the blanket. The night air wasn’t cold but their bodies were both glowing after their exertions and she wanted nothing more than to cuddle under the blanket with him. He pulled her back onto his lap and wrapped it around them both, his arms securely looped around her underneath.

“I think you’re right, my beautiful wife,” he agreed as she let her head drop onto his shoulder, both of them gazing out towards the stars as the waves lapped against the shore just a short distance away. “Life doesn’t get any better than this.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The house was going to take some serious Meryl Davis, no, Meryl Chmerkovskiy organising. Her lease had finished shortly before the wedding so they’d moved all of her and Robbie’s things into Maks’ place, ready to reorganise after the honeymoon. Of course they only had two days of vacation left before they were both due back at work, as well as two small children underfoot who hadn’t seen their parents in a week and were more than a little clingy. Finally they’d given up trying to get anything done with the kids around and had farmed them out to Maks’ parents for the day, giving them the opportunity to finally tackle Robbie’s room, which Meryl had been so hesitant about fixing up for him before she and Maks were married.

“Okay, I got three cans. The guy at the store said it should be plenty to cover the walls with some spare in case we need to touch it up later.” Maks began, heaving the three cans of light blue paint into the room and taking the other end of the dust sheet which Meryl was using to cover the furniture.

“So, what’s the strategy?”

“You start low, I’ll start high and we can meet in the middle,” he suggested, holding out a paint roller to her before wrestling the lid off a can and pouring it into the roller tray. “Man this stuff is really blue, is he sure this is the colour he wants?”

Meryl looked at it sceptically, “We did entrust our six year old son to pick his own colour of paint at the store.” She shrugged, “With any luck it’ll look better when we get it on the walls.”

“Either that or we spend as little time in here as we can,” laughed Maks, rolling the roller in the paint and making the first satisfying stripe along the wall.

They progressed well, soon covering one wall, dancing and singing along to music from Maks’ iPod as they worked. Maks’ attention span was naturally shorter than Meryl’s though and it wasn’t until she felt the sudden swipe of a roller across her butt and squealed that she realised he had lost focus on the task.

“Hey!” she squealed, whipping round to find Maks with a satisfied grin on his face as he gazed at her butt. “I know these were old, but you didn’t have to actively cover them in paint!”

His laughter rumbled deeply and he stepped forward to give her butt a cheeky squeeze. “I couldn’t resist it; you just look so cute in those overalls, and they were just too damn clean considering how much painting you’ve done!”

She rolled her eyes, feigning irritation poorly. “Anyone would think you were easily distracted!” she teased, feeling his arms slip around her from behind, his lips dropping to press feathery kisses to the sensitive skin of her neck. “And now you’re being a bad influence and distracting me too…”

He spun her around in his arms and there was a soft clatter as the paint roller she’d been using dropped onto the floor. She hoped somewhere at the back of her mind that there was a dust sheet where it had fallen, but frankly, with Maks’ mouth now attached to her neck, and his tongue flicking out to taste the dip in the base of her throat, she was finding it hard to care.

“Maks…” she moaned, “As much as I’d love to continue this, your mom only has the kids for a few hours and we need to get this done unless we want them _helping_ when they come back.”

He sighed, giving her one last long kiss on the mouth before bringing her back up to a proper standing position. “You’re a spoilsport,” he sulked, his bottom lip sticking out adorably. “I better be getting a raincheck on this?”

She rested a finger on her chin as though considering the possibility, and was rewarded by Maks teasingly wiping a painty finger across her cheek in punishment.

“Maks!” she complained again, laughing. “The kids are gonna wonder what the hell we’ve been doing when they see the state of me!”

He shrugged, reaching out again to place a matching stripe on her other cheek. “We can just tell them it’s an art project.”

*~*~*~*~

They continued on for another thirty minutes or so until Meryl let out a long sigh, flopping down onto the dustsheet on Robbie’s bed.

“You okay, Babe?” Maks looked down from the section of wall he was rollering.

She shook her head, “I’m just feeling a bit sick,” she admitted, “I think it’s the paint fumes; we’ve been in here a while and we never got round to opening a window.”

Maks put the roller down and made his way across the room to her, reaching out to test her forehead for fever with the back of his hand. “You look quite pale,” he agreed with concern. “Why don’t you go and have a lie down or a bath for a bit. I can finish up here; there’s not much more to be done.”

“You sure?”

“Of course I am, Babe. The paint fumes are enough to make anyone sick, go and get cleaned up and feel better.”

*~*~*~*~

Maks was right; after a bath and a little nap, the feeling of nausea had completely worn off and she headed back downstairs, realising from the laughter in the living room that Larisa had dropped the kids off and they were all playing together.

“Mommy!” Dasha squealed, launching herself at Meryl’s knees as she entered the door.

“Hey Baby, did you have fun with Baba?” Meryl kissed her cheek, her heart fluttering as Dasha wrapped her delicate little arms around her shoulders, laying her head wearily on her shoulder.

“Uh-huh,” she agreed, “But I’m sleepy.”

“Me too Baby, me too,” Meryl agreed, sitting down on the couch with her daughter in her lap and noticing Maks’ concerned gaze.

“Feeling any better?” he asked.

She nodded, “Much better now I’m away from the paint, just a little tired.”

“Maybe we should just get pizza so you don’t need to cook dinner?” suggested Robbie, with a hopeful glint in his eye.

Meryl and Maks laughed at his ingenuity. “I love your concern for your mother’s wellbeing Robbie,” teased Maks, “But somehow I’m feeling your request for pizza might not be as innocent as you’re making out!”

Robbie batted his eyelashes, “What? Me? I just want Mommy not to be tired! I’m being thoughtful!”

“Okay Buddy, you win. Pizza it is tonight,” Maks agreed, reaching for the phone to order.

*~*~*~*~

An hour later they all sat cuddled on the couch, Dasha’s head lolling against Maks’ chest sleepily; all comfortably full.

“Anyone want that last slice?” Meryl checked with a raise of her eyebrows.

“Mommy you already had three slices!” Robbie chastised her with a shake of his head. Meryl grinned defiantly and ruffled his hair, reaching out to grab the last slice.

“I’m still on vacation mode,” she justified herself to Maks who was smiling at her in surprise.

“Babe, I have no idea where you put it all,” he laughed. “I mean, I’ve always eaten a lot but over the last few weeks you’ve been keeping up with…”

He stopped suddenly and looked at Meryl with a pointed expression on his face. She raised an eyebrow back at him.

“What?”

“Robbie, could you be a good boy and go and put the plates back in the kitchen?” Maks asked, looking down at his chest to see that Dasha had fallen completely asleep.

“What?” Meryl repeated.

He rolled his eyes, “I thought women were meant to be perceptive about stuff like this! Your appetite has increased, you’re tired, you felt nauseous earlier on…”

“Ohhh…” her eyes widened.

“Do you feel like you could be?” He lay Dasha down on the couch gently and took Meryl’s hands in his own.

“I don’t know,” she whispered, conscious of the fact that Robbie could return to the room any second. “I mean last time I had no idea that I was until a few months in, I was totally in denial. I didn’t really pay attention to the signs.”

“We’ve not been trying though,” countered Maks.

She gave him a pointed look, “It’s not like we’ve been particularly careful either, Maks. And it’s not like we’re not all over each other all the time!”

He grinned and she giggled herself. “How would you feel about it, Babe?” he asked, tenderly tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

She looked up at his eyes, knowing that they both felt the same way. “I’d be over the moon!” she admitted. “I know it’s not something we’d planned for now but it’s not a bad time either.”

“How much do you want to know right now?” he was almost bouncing up and down on the couch with excitement.

“I’ll get the kids in bed. You go to the store…” she just managed to get out before Robbie appeared at the living room door, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

“Bed time little man,” she commanded, standing up and taking Dasha from Maks.

“Can Daddy read me a story?” he begged, as Meryl began to lead him out of the door and up the stairs.

“Daddy has to run an errand,” Maks could hear her telling Robbie as he quickly slipped his shoes on and found his car keys. He’d never wanted to get to the drug store faster in his life.

*~*~*~*~*~

Meryl was already in their bedroom, ready for bed by the time he arrived back home. He held up the brown paper bag before emptying its contents out onto the bed.

“How many did you get?!” Meryl laughed, picking up one of the packets.

“I was blinded by science,” Maks admitted, “They all claimed to be more accurate than the other ones so I just bought them all to be on the safe side.”

She reached up to kiss his cheek, finding his excitement infectious. “Okay, stay here, I need to go and take the test.”

“I can’t come with you?”

“Maks, I love you and I want to share everything with you, but you never need to see me pee on a stick, okay?”

She returned a few moments later, with the stick in hand, and sat down next to him on the bed. He gathered her into his arms and she relaxed back against his chest.

“What are you thinking?” she asked, reaching back to stroke her hand absentmindedly up and down his scruff.

“I’m thinking that two minutes is a really long time,” he laughed, looking up at the clock again. “And I’m also thinking that if this isn’t a positive we’ll both be disappointed but it’s okay, right? We’ve not been trying and we’ve got plenty time for it.”

She nodded, wrapping his hands around her middle and clasping hers through them. “Right, and if it is positive…” she looked down at their joined hands resting on her stomach. “Then we’ve done something incredible…”

“Okay,” he took another glance at the clock. “Are you ready?”

She nodded and turned the stick over in her hand. Gasping she held it up for him to see, the result was quite clear.

A little pink plus sign.

“And baby makes five…” Maks whispered, turning her in his arms and cradling her head in his hand as he hugged her.

“We’re having a baby!” Meryl exclaimed, tears beginning to fall. Maks reached out to wipe them away, kissing her all over her face.

“I love you…” he whispered. “Now our family is even more complete.”

 

 


	16. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Well it’s finally here; the end of Two Halves of a Whole! Thank you so much to all the people who have encouraged me with this fic - all the likes, reblogs and especially asks and comments have really kept me going and helped me stay on track. 
> 
> This epilogue is a little shorter than the other chapters but I just wanted to use it to wrap a few things up. I’m aiming to start my new fic “Rebel Without a Cause” next week!

** Epilogue **

_“Next to skate, representing the New Jersey Figure Skating Club; Emma Gray and Steven Boles!”_

“So Tara; Gray and Boles ready to take the ice in this final flight of Junior dance teams. And they have had an amazing breakout season!”

“Tell me about it, Johnny. These two seem to have come from nowhere this season; they’ve won every event they’ve entered – including the Junior Grand Prix Final in Barcelona.”

“A huge victory, and an upset over the young Russians at that, Tara. And many are saying that the main reason for their success are the two people you see standing at the barrier with them just now; Meryl and Maksim Chmerkovskiy.”

“Yes, you can see their coaches just giving them last minute pointers before they take their positions. You know, the Chmerkovskiys really have been the success story of the year in ice dance; they’ve built an amazing program up in New Jersey, and they’ve got the whole ice dance world talking about them, that’s for sure!”

“Tara, I could scarcely believe it when I heard that the new Russian team of Ilynikh and Zhiganshin had moved to them just after the Grand Prix final and their stable of American seniors has been steadily increasing throughout the season as well.”

“Well Johnny, I think a lot of it has to do with the innovative approach that they’ve taken towards ice dance. Meryl is a former national level competitor herself, and Maks was an international level Latin champion, so together they bring a unique blend of skating and dance knowledge and technique to their coaching.”

“And it’s not just their new teams who are going to keep them busy; you might have noticed behind the boards there that Meryl is expecting their first child together!”

“Yup, she’s due in just a month or so but I spoke to her earlier and she said that nothing was going to stop her being here for Steven and Emma, although she said that Maks was going to have to handle Junior Worlds on his own!”

“Well, they certainly have plenty to be excited about. Let’s see how their star team handles this free dance; it’s been the talk of skating circles this season. Taking their positions now, currently in first place after the Short Dance; it’s sixteen year old Emma Gray and seventeen year old Steven Boles…”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Daddy, will we be allowed to touch the new baby?” Robbie hopped from one foot to the other excitedly as they made their way through the hospital lobby towards Meryl’s room.

After a long and intense labour, Meryl had finally given birth during the early hours of the morning, and Maks had reluctantly left her after a few hours to go and collect their two other children to meet their new sibling. The fact they’d chosen to keep the baby’s sex a surprise from the two children was driving Robbie crazy.

“If you’re really gentle, I’m sure Mommy will let you hold…” he stopped himself suddenly.

“You almost said it!” Robbie observed gleefully.

“Two more minutes, Buddy!” Maks laughed, hoisting a dawdling Dasha up into his arms so they could walk at a pace more acceptable to Robbie.

By the time they reached Meryl’s room Robbie could hardly contain himself with excitement. Maks gently pushed open the door, holding a finger to his lips theatrically to show the kids they needed to be quiet. Robbie suddenly seemed unsure, peeking his head around the door, his little eyes looking around for his mother.

“He-ey,” Meryl cooed, “Where are my babies?”

Robbie rushed towards her bed, gasping in delight as he took in the little bundle lying in her arms. “We’re not your babies anymore,” he protested as Meryl hugged him.

“Of course you are,” she kissed him softly, “You’ll always be my baby, and so will Dasha.”

Dasha was shyly tucked up in the crook of her daddy’s shoulder, looking a little uncertain about the whole thing.

“Hey Princess, d’you want to come and say hi?” Meryl asked her sweetly, earning a nod before Dasha’s little lip began to wobble with tears and she held out her arms.

“Mommy!” she cried, and Maks lifted her onto the bed where her arms immediately wrapped around Meryl’s neck; Maks lifting the baby out of Meryl’s arms to give her room.

“Hey, hey…” Meryl cooed, smoothing down Dasha’s hair and kissing her head. “What’s all this about? Everything’s okay, Mommy had the baby, and we’re going to come home today and you’re a big sister now Dasha.” Dasha looked unconvinced so Meryl whispered in her ear, “But you’re still Mommy’s special girl, I promise.”

That seemed to placate her and she cuddled into Meryl’s side as Meryl patted the bed to Robbie so he would hop up beside her.

“So,” began Maks, with wide smile on his face, as he crouched down towards them all, and they all leaned in, looking at the tiny little bundle of perfection he held protectively in his arms. “Mommy and I would like for you to meet your new little sister, Anna…”

“Sister!” Robbie gasped, “Oh my gosh, she’s a girl! She’s a girl!”

“Baby girl!” Dasha exclaimed in wonder, her little hand reaching out ever so gently to stroke the tiny infant’s head.

“That’s it Baby, really gentle,” Meryl encouraged, “Wow, you’re such a good big sister! Anna is going to love you so much!”

“Baby Anna…” Dasha cooed, bending forwards to place a little kiss on her sister’s head.

“So is Anna a Ukrainian name or an American name?” Robbie questioned, “It doesn’t sound very Ukrainian!”

“Well, Mommy and I talked about that,” agreed Maks, “and Anna will be her official name, like my full name is Maksim, but we’re going to call her Anushka for short.”

“That’s not shorter!” laughed Robbie, rolling his eyes.

Maks and Meryl laughed, “No it’s not Baby, but that’s your daddy’s Ukrainian logic for you! Anyway, it’s cute, right?”

Robbie nodded, turning his attention back to the baby, now in his mother’s arms. “Can I hold her?”

“Of course,” Meryl smiled, gently, “Now hold your arms out, her head is all floppy just now; she’s too little to hold it up herself so we need to do it for her okay?”

“Wow…” breathed Robbie in complete wonder, “She’s so, so little!” He looked up to his mother, “Was I ever this small?”

Maks and Meryl both laughed, “Actually Buddy, your sister here is heavier than you were, so you were even smaller than this!”

Robbie gazed down at his little sister in amazement, stroking the velvety skin of her cheek, before gasping as her eyes opened. “She’s awake!”

“She’s looking at you,” Meryl smiled, adoringly, “She’s saying _, hi big brother_!”

Maks squeezed onto the bed alongside them all, sliding an arm around his wife and dropping a soft kiss onto her lips. “How are you doing, Baby?” he whispered, knowing the kids were too wrapped up in Anushka to listen in.

“I’m a little tired, and a little sore, but I’m good,” she smiled, resting her weary head against Maks’ shoulder.

“I’m so proud of you,” he whispered back to her, “You’re incredible, I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” she could feel tears welling up in her eyes and he reached his thumb out to wipe them away.

“Knock, knock,” a nurse appeared at the door, “I’m so sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to check you were okay. I can see you’ve got some important visitors!” she smiled kindly at Robbie and Dasha. “Are you two this little one’s big brother and sister?”

Robbie smiled, “I’ve got two little sisters now!”

“I can tell you’re a great big brother, you make sure you look out for them both, okay?”

“I will,” he nodded, bending down to kiss Anushka, before taking in the disgruntled look Dasha was giving him and kissing her too.

“You have a beautiful family,” the nurse offered kindly, nodding towards Maks’ phone on the side table, “Would you like me to take a picture for you?”

“That would be great,” Maks agreed, handing her the phone and taking his place once more behind his family.

“Smile!” called the nurse, as they all looked towards the camera. “Ahh perfect. What a gorgeous little family you are!”

*~*~*~*~*~

The room was silent except for the sound of gentle breathing. The gap in the curtains had allowed a shard of moonlight to permeate the darkness, bathing the three figures on the bed with a pale glow. Meryl reclined against the pillows, one hand propping her head up, the other linked lazily with her husband’s just below the tiny figure now sleeping soundly between them. Finally sleeping.

“I can’t believe she’s finally asleep,” groaned Meryl, closing her eyes in relief.

Maks smiled and reached his free hand out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “I think I’d forgotten how much noise babies can make.”

“Tell me about it!” she laughed softly, “Did Dasha cry this much when she was first born?”

He shook his head. “Robbie?” She in turn shook hers.

“Oh boy, well my little Anushka, something tells me we’ve got trouble on our hands with you!” she whispered, gazing tenderly down at the tiny infant; now lying contently, her little chest rising and falling as she slept.

“I wouldn’t change a thing though,” Maks said suddenly, interrupting her thoughts. “All the crying and the diapers and the puke; it’s all worth it.”

“Yeah,” Meryl breathed, leaning her cheek into his palm and sighing softly at his touch. “Moments like this make it worthwhile. Just being here with you and our baby.”

He leaned forwards, tipping her chin up until her lips met his. Her eyelashes fluttered against his cheek as he kissed her, and his heart swelled with love for the woman in his arms.

“I never thought it was possible to love someone this much,” he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers as they broke apart. “You’ve given me the most amazing gift with Anushka, and I’m just in awe of you; how you carried her and how you take care of her every day.   Every time I look at you I fall a little bit more in love with you, Meryl Chmerkovskiy.”

She reached out to him, pressing her lips to his once more and feeling tears at the corner of her eyes. He felt them, pulling back and wiping them away with his thumbs, holding her face between his huge hands as he gazed at her.

“I love you too Maks,” she whispered, chuckling at her emotional response, “Sorry, post-partum hormones here.”

“Well I love you; hormones and all,” he teased, sitting her up and pulling her around Anushka so he could spoon against her, wrapping his arms protectively around her as they watched their daughter sleep. Meryl was still tiny, her body had quickly returned to near her pre-pregnancy size, with just her chest remaining larger (much to Maks’ delight) from breast feeding the baby.

“I never thought I could be this happy,” she whispered, feeling his scruff tickling her cheek as he nuzzled against her.

“Me neither,” he admitted, “I know it sounds cheesy or corny or whatever, but sometimes I feel like someone out there must have had some sort of plan for you and me.”

“It doesn’t sound cheesy,” she protested, “Well… maybe it does but you’re allowed to be cheesy in moments like this with me.”

“Good,” he agreed, closing his eyes and kissing the silky soft skin of her neck, eliciting a shiver from her. “Because I’m in a really sappy mood tonight.”

“That’s okay,” she smiled, “I promise I won’t tell anyone and ruin your tough guy image. I know you’re just a teddy bear.”

“Shhh,” he laughed, putting a teasing finger on her lips, “Don’t let Anushka hear that, that’s only for your ears okay?”

“Okay my teddy bear,” she agreed, batting her eyelashes teasingly.

He sighed and pulled her closer, loving the feeling of her warm body in his arms. Holding her filled him with a sense of wonder and purpose, protection and fulfilment. This was why he’d been put here. “Seriously though,” he whispered, his tone less flippant, “I feel just… I feel at peace; like this is what I’m supposed to do, this is where I’m supposed to be. D’you know what I mean?”

She nodded, “Before I met you, I was just lost Maks. I had Robbie, but there was always something missing.”

He reached down to her hands, entwining their fingers and closing his eyes as he inhaled the delicate scent of her perfume. “When I found you Meryl, I found my other half. Now we’re together; all of us; you, me, Robbie, Dasha and now Anushka. I feel like we’re a whole.”

She didn’t reply, instead just twisting in his arms to kiss him softly, before tucking her head into the crook of his neck, both of their eyes fluttering shut; each of them falling asleep safe in the knowledge that together they truly were two halves of a whole.


End file.
